Stéphane Richard, Xavier Niel is "pretentious and aggressive" - ??Echoes

In an interview with “Le Figaro” published Tuesday, Orange CEO Stéphane Richard, threatening the CEO and founder of Free, Xaviel Niel, not to renew the 2G and 3G roaming agreement that binds the two groups.

CEO of Orange, Stéphane Richard, Free threat not to renew the roaming contract binding – / Deanis Rea Allard

Between

bosses Orange and Free, the bad blood. And the tone rises between operators amid price war years 4G. In an interview with “Le Figaro” published Tuesday, Orange CEO Stéphane Richard describes the CEO and founder of Free Xavier Niel “pretentious and aggressive” and awarded him the title “King of the confused” (see interview Figaro).

threatens not to renew the contract between the two groups. “Do not forget that 2G 3G roaming agreement is not a perpetual right. Its maintenance will depend on the reality of network deployment Free appropriate check. Eventually, Orange may very well do without roaming agreement but the converse is true? , “warns Stéphane Richard.

Back

on a controversy that swells through the media.

This controversy was born December 3, when the fourth mobile operator, has announced its offer Free 4G with 20GB download at no extra cost compared to 3G.

Stéphane Richard was immediately attacked-against denouncing the “coup de com ‘” of its competitor. “ The problem is that it is the wind just because there is no coverage … You can imagine the quality of reception you can have with 700 branches across the country , “he said on RTL. Remarks which were widely endorsed SFR and Bouygues Telecom.

Pretentious and aggressive

New skirmish on December 15 This time, Xavier Niel, who in an interview with “Journal du Dimanche” is attacking its competitors. “Our competitors poured big dividends, they have a little reduced. They were very rich, they are a little less , he says (see interview with JDD). I much trouble for them, I’ll cry. Nobody is unhappy in telecoms. Operators emerge from 20% to 40% margin! . ” Asked about the interview, Stéphane Richard said Tuesday at Figaro he found Xavier Niel, “ pretentious and aggressive.”

landing with a price and volume data unbeatable – even on a limited network – Xavier Niel and his teams have suddenly shifted the debate 4G – and all that goes with communication – uses to prices, land on which they excel. The trap worked immediately. Two days after the announcement of Free, Bouygues Telecom has responded by warning that he would “soon” integrate 4G into its low cost range. In fact, it has announced that 4G will be available starting on Wednesday to subscribers of its brand B & You. And this at no extra cost.

Written by Jean Michel Gradt
Journalist
jmgradt@lesechos.fr