08 04 2009 - Speaking at a press conference, Jean-Claude Mallet, the head of French telecommunications regulator Arcep, has clearly stated his opposition to a call for the functional separation of France Telecom's wholesale and retail operations, writes Les Echos. Jean-Bernard Levy, the head of Orange rival SFR's parent company, Vivendi, had suggested such a move. Mallet said that any decision would be taken within a European frame of referenc, yet the European Commission has already stated that splitting an incumbent operator into two companies is an exceptional case. One must prove that competition is not working, which is not the case in France today, he added. While the UK chose to split BT's network and services in 2005, Germany and France have decided to not follow suit for Deutsche Telekom and Telefonica.
Πηγή: Trading Markets.com
