French Trio Bids 20.45 Billion Euros for Telecom Rival SFR
Bouygues Telecom, Iliad, and Orange have agreed to acquire France's second-largest operator SFR from Altice France in a deal valued at 20.45 billion euros. The proposed merger will test the European Commission's resolve on market consolidation as regulators weigh competition concerns against the need for industrial scale.
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BOUYGUES SA, ORANGE, and Iliad-owned Free offered €20.45 billion on Saturday to acquire SFR from Altice France. This sweetened bid follows a rejected €17 billion proposal in October for the second-largest mobile operator in France. The transaction would consolidate the French market from four players to three, testing whether the European Commission will prioritize corporate scale over traditional competition rules.
