Orange and Bouygues still eyeing deal with end-of-March deadline

Stéphane Richard

Discussions between Orange and Bouygues over the former’s potential acquisition of Bouygues Telecom are continuing to “progress well” according to Orange CEO Stéphane Richard, as reported by French financial daily Les Echos.

Speaking to journalists in Egypt  to mark the rebranding of Orange’s local Mobinil operation as Orange Egypt, Richard said that the pair were still working towards a deadline of the end of the March to conclude an agreement.

Any deal is likely to be complex, involving the sale by Orange and Bouygues of key assets to rival players SFR and Free to secure a green light from the French competition regulator.