French telecom trio's SFR acquisition faces competition scrutiny

Orange, Bouygues Telecom and Iliad (Free) have agreed to purchase SFR from Altice for roughly €20‑23 billion. The deal divides SFR’s assets so that Orange acquires about 27%, Bouygues 42% and Iliad 31%, allowing each to stay below dominant market share levels. Bouygues will also absorb SFR Business, a €1.2 billion enterprise unit with 190,000 corporate customers, potentially creating a strong duopoly with Orange Business.

France’s competition authority, led by President Benoît Cœuré, has cautioned that the consolidation could lead to higher sector prices and is not automatically deemed anti‑competitive. The transaction will also be reviewed by the European Commission, adding further regulatory scrutiny. Details of the merger have yet to be submitted, and the approval process could extend up to 30 months.