Bouygues Telecom, Free-iliad Group and Orange joint statement following press rumors

Core Viewpoint - The consortium of Bouygues Telecom, Free-iliad Group, and Orange is in discussions with Altice Group regarding a potential acquisition of a significant portion of Altice's telecommunications operations in France [1][2]. Group 1: Company Overview - Orange: A leading global telecommunications operator with revenues of €40.3 billion in 2024 and a workforce of 124,100 employees worldwide as of September 30, 2025. The company serves 310 million customers globally, including 270 million mobile and 23 million fixed broadband customers [3]. - Free-iliad Group: Established in the early 1990s, it is a major European telecom player with over 18,000 employees and 52 million subscribers. The group generated €10.3 billion in revenues over the last twelve months, with 23.2 million subscribers in France as of September 30, 2025 [5]. - Bouygues Telecom: A subsidiary of the Bouygues group, it provides digital communication services in France. It has 27.1 million mobile customers and 5.3 million fixed customers, with a 4G network covering 99% of the French population and a 5G network covering over 84% [6][7]. Group 2: Strategic Initiatives - Orange's Strategic Plan: In February 2023, Orange introduced its strategic plan "Lead the Future," focusing on a new business model that emphasizes responsibility and efficiency, aiming to enhance service quality through network excellence [4]. - Bouygues Telecom's Sustainability Goals: The company aims to reduce its scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 29.4% and scope 3 emissions by 17.5% by 2027, with these targets endorsed by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) [7].