France: Telecom and Information Technology Update

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 002154 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EB/CIP, EUR/WE, AND EUR/ERA DEPT PLEASE PASS TO USTR JMCHALE, KSCHAGRIN, AND CHINKLEY FCC FOR TWEISLER COMMERCE FOR NTIA CSPECK AND ITA JBURTON JUSTICE FOR KWILLNER BRUSSELS FOR USEU JUNDERWOOD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECPS ETRD FR SUBJECT: France: Telecom and Information Technology Update REF: Paris 2027 ¶1. (U) This update covers recent news in the French telecommunications and information technology sectors, including internet and e-commerce. Contents: -- Telecom Policy Gets a New Home (para 2) -- Fourth Mobile License (para 3) -- High Speed Internet Success in France (para 4) -- Alcatel-Lucent's Lower Profits (para 5) -- Protests over Alcatel-Lucent job cuts (para 6) -- Alcatel Promotes Chinese 3G standard (para 7) -- Verizon and Alcatel-Lucent Announce Lucrative Contract (para 8) -- Deutsche Telekom Sells French Internet Subsidiary (para 9) -- France Telecom Announces Revenue Increase (para 10) -- Orange gets new Boss (para 11) -- Orange Video-On-Demand (VOD) becomes Paramount (para 12) -- Orange Experiences Rapid Growth in Egypt (para 13) -- Mobile Phones As Credit Cards (para 14) Telecom Policy and Sarkozy's Ministerial Restructuring -------------- ¶2. (SBU) President Nicolas Sarkozy has split the former Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry into two separate ministries -- a Ministry of Budget, Public Accounts and Civil Service, and a Ministry of Economy, Finance and Employment. Telecommunications policy should remain within the purview of the latter, though whether it will remain the domain of a Directorate for Information Technology is not yet clear. The new Minister of Economy, Finance and Employment, Jean-Louis Borloo, previously served in the Raffarin and Villepin governments as Minister for Employment, Labor, and Social Cohesion during 2004-2007, and Junior Minister for Towns and Urban Renewal from 2002-2004 (reftel). The change in government will not affect the telecommunications regulator, Paul Champsaur, who was appointed in 2003 and should remain in place until 2009. President Sarkozy supports Champsaur's project to encourage investment in fiber to French homes. Fourth Mobile License -------------- ¶3. (U) Telecom regulator ARCEP has invited bids for France's fourth third generation (3G) wireless license, due on July 31. The license will be awarded by a "beauty contest" against a set of criteria specified on ARCEP's website (www.arcep.fr). The application procedure is similar to that used in issuing the previous three 3G licenses. Rumors in the market indicate that the Iliad Group, in conjunction with a partner, and Neuf Cegetel are likely bidders. New ARCEP Figures Attest to High Speed Internet Success in France -------------- ¶4. (U) According to ARCEP's recent data, France counts 12.7 million high-speed internet subscribers. In 2006, Internet providers attracted 3.2 million new subscribers, a 34 percent increase over the previous year. Alcatel-Lucent's Lower Profits -------------- ¶5. (U) Alcatel-Lucent, the world's largest supplier of telecommunications equipment, said that 2007 first-quarter adjusted profit fell 35 percent (year-on-year),hurt by restructuring costs and a twelve percent decline in sales. Profits fell to 199 million euros (USD 268 million),down from 306 million euros (USD 413 million) a year earlier. To May 10 Alcatel-Lucent stock had fallen by 11 percent. Alcatel-Lucent's wireless business is particularly vulnerable, with wireless revenue having fallen 15 percent from a year earlier. CEO Patricia Russo blamed the drop on deferred sales in anticipation of Alcatel-Lucent's launch of newer product lines. Russo has said that restructuring and integration plans are on track and that the company should save 600 million euros (USD 810 million) this year. Investors apparently like what they see and the stock has enjoyed a partial rebound in the last week. Alcatel-Lucent Labor Issues -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Alcatel-Lucent restructuring plans include 12,500 job cuts over three years to help reduce costs, and the company had achieved PARIS 00002154 002 OF 003 15 percent of its target by the end of the first quarter. In the largest demonstration against these plans so far, an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 workers marched on the company's headquarters in Paris on March 15 against the 1,500 planned cuts in France. "Alcatel-Lucent is a global company with its base in Europe and this is a French and European problem affecting the future of high-tech industries," said Confederation Francaise Democratique du Travail (CFDT) union Secretary General Francois Chereque. French employees took part SIPDIS alongside workers from Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. Affected regional governments are also taking action against Alcatel-Lucent. In response to Alcatel-Lucent's plans to close a research center and lay off 200 local employees, the Brittany regional government blocked a 1.8 million euro (USD 2.39 million) regional aid grant to a "competitiveness cluster" in which Alcatel-Lucent participates. Alcatel Promotes Chinese 3G standard -------------- ¶7. (U) Alcatel-Lucent's Chinese affiliate, Alcatel Shanghai Bell, and China's Datang Mobile will provide the Chinese TD-SCDMA third generation (3G) mobile phone standard used in a trial by China Mobile. China Mobile will use the 3G standard in a trial network expansion in Shanghai and Guangzhou. The TD-SCDMA technology allows for voice and high-speed data services, such as internet access, video streaming, and remote access to software applications. Chinese carriers reportedly have been reluctant to use TD-SCDMA, preferring to use the better known cdma2000 and W-CDMA standards. Verizon and Alcatel-Lucent Announce a USD 6 Billion Contract -------------- ¶8. (U) Verizon Wireless and Alcatel-Lucent announced in late March a three-year agreement worth an expected USD 6 billion for Alcatel-Lucent to supply a wide variety of network equipment, software and services supporting Verizon Wireless' ongoing network expansion and continuous improvements. With this agreement Alcatel-Lucent continues to be Verizon Wireless' primary network infrastructure supplier and will continue to help grow Verizon Wireless' multimedia and data services. Under the agreement, Alcatel-Lucent will provide infrastructure solutions to transition Verizon Wireless to an all-internet protocol network. Deutsche Telekom Sells French Internet Subsidiary -------------- ¶9. (U) Telecom operator Neuf Cegetel won a tender for French Internet operator Club Internet, an ISP sold by Deutsche Telekom. Neuf Cegetel's bid, between 430 and 460 million euros (USD 560-600 million),topped that of rival operator Free, owned by the Iliad Group. Club Internet, which has 600,000 subscribers to its high speed internet service, made a 2006 operating loss of about 100 million euros (on sales of more than 200 million euros) as a result of heavy investment to encourage client growth. With this acquisition, Neuf Cegetel has the second largest number of subscribers to its Internet service in France, overtaking close rival Free. France Telecom remains the market leader, with 49.2 percent of the market. Rumors are floating that Telecom Italia's French Internet unit, Alice, may be the next company up for sale. A recent magazine rated Alice's customer service the worst in a market not known for its customer friendliness. France Telecom Announces Revenue Increase on Mobile Gains -------------- ¶10. (SBU) France Telecom (FT),Europe's second largest phone company, said first-quarter sales unexpectedly rose 1.8 percent, lifted by revenues from mobile services in emerging markets and Internet services in France. Sales increased to 12.84 billion euros (USD 17.52 billion) from 12.81 billion euros a year earlier. FT executives told us that value-added Internet services would make up for declines in traditional voice calls by the end of 2007. FT also expected growth by expanding its wireless business in emerging African and Central European markets, which are growing rapidly. Analysts had expected a mild sales decline prior to the release of first quarter results. Operating profits rose 1.5 percent to 4.66 billion euros (USD 6 billion) in contrast to the 1.5 percent decline that analysts had predicted. FT shares rose by 3 percent to 21.59 euros (USD 28) on the news. Orange Gets a New Boss -------------- PARIS 00002154 003 OF 003 ¶11. (U) In the preamble to the announcement of its quarterly earnings, France Telecom announced the departure of mobile telephony subsidiary Orange's Director-General Sajiv Ahuja. Ahuja has led Orange since 2003, and is leaving at a time when profits are rebounding. Profits in the first quarter grew by 1.8 percent, with revenues growing by 1.5 percent. Management of the business unit will pass to Olaf Swantee, who is moving over from Hewlett Packard. Orange Offers New Video On Demand Services -------------- ¶12. (U) Orange has signed an agreement that will allow its broadband digital TV and high-speed Internet subscribers access to new video on demand (VOD) content from Paramount and DreamWorks Studios. Orange's VOD package, 24/24 Video, rotates its film offer each week from a catalogue of over 2,500 films. They include back catalogue titles from major studios and independent French and international productions. Rental starts at 3 euros for 24 hours and includes unlimited viewing, pause functions and fast forward and rewind. Films are offered in French or original language versions with subtitles. Orange Experiences Rapid Growth in Egypt -------------- ¶13. (U) France Telecom's growth strategy in Egypt is emblematic of growth in emerging telecom markets. FT owns 71.25 percent of Egyptian mobile operator Mobinil, which recently reached 10 million subscribers and has a 52 percent market share in the country. FT is seeking to use Mobinil as a springboard for further investment in the Africa and Middle East region. FT plans to create 400 new jobs at France Telecom's Orange Business Services (formerly Equant) centre in Cairo, bringing the total number of employees there to 1,500. Orange Business Services -- a global leader in communication solutions for multinational companies worldwide -- has its largest center in Cairo. Mobile Phones as Credit Cards -------------- ¶14. (U) French wireless telecoms groups Bouygues Telecom, Orange and SFR agreed with French train company SNCF, Paris metro firm RATP, and private firms Keolis, Transdev, and Veolia to allow travelers to use cell phones as contactless credit cards. The companies set up a working group on April 13 to implement the accord. The working group, which is part of the Secure Electronic Transaction "competitiveness cluster" located in Caen, Normandy, intends to provide a common standard for "transportation cards on mobile phones" by next fall. To pay for a ride, users will need only wave their cell phones past readers to be installed throughout France. This system has already been tested by Bouygues Telecom on Paris's public transportation system RATP since March 2006. French rail company SNCF also has a mobile phone ticketing service, under experimentation since July 2006, and which requires an Internet-capable phone. Users pay for the ticket over a secure payment system and receive a multimedia message to their phone that includes a bar code. The message serves as a ticket that can be shown to ticket collectors on the train. STAPLETON