This is a case that threatens to shake up the supplier market in France. SFR and Bouygues Telecom are jointly claiming €336 million from Orange. At the heart of the dispute, the two companies believe they have been harmed by the economic model in place in very densely populated areas, where Orange is responsible for fiber-related infrastructure. More specifically, the company is responsible for deploying fiber to the foot of buildings in major cities. SFR, Bouygues Telecom, and other competitors then take over the connection of each home, installing the final box at the subscriber's premises. A significant investment, which only pays for itself after several years of operation.
A Big Money Business
The problem arises when a subscriber cancels their contract before the end of this amortization period. Until recently, Orange only reimbursed its competitors for part of the installation costs if a new subscriber took over the same line. However, in many cases, this recovery does not take place, or subcontractors install new boxes instead of reusing the old ones, preventing the reimbursement from being triggered and creating duplicates in the information systems.
Faced with this situation, Bouygues Telecom and SFR have contacted Arcep. In 2022, the telecoms regulator had already given reason to commercial operators: the connection fees should be reimbursed as soon as the subscriber terminated the line, and not only when it was taken over by a new operator. Orange contested this decision before the Paris Court of Appeal, which confirmed Arcep's position in March 2025.
The amounts at stake and the parties' position
Following this decision, Bouygues Telecom is claiming €152 million and SFR €184 million from Orange, for a total of €336 million. They believe that these amounts correspond to the costs incurred for terminated lines, for which they never received compensation. Orange, for its part, considers these claims "unfounded" and asserts that Arcep's decision did not set the exact percentage of restitution. The historic operator is now arguing for a sharing of the financial burden between operators.
In addition to settling once and for all the disputes between operators, the court decision could also facilitate mobility customers between operators, by removing a major financial obstacle during a line transfer. Free, another major player in the sector, has chosen negotiation and reached an agreement with Orange, thus avoiding litigation.
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