France Seeks More Phone Mergers at Home, Alliances in Europe

France will encourage mergers and acquisitions among the country’s wireless carriers and has asked market leader Orange SA to seek European alliances, Economy Minister Arnaud Montebourg said.

“Consolidation is a necessity in France and in Europe, and we will work actively to encourage it,” Montebourg told the National Assembly’s economic and financial commissions during a meeting to discuss the sale of SFR, the country’s second-largest carrier to Altice SA.