Editing Orange Group (section)

== History ==
=== Nationalised service (1878–1980s) ===
In 1792, under the [[French Revolution]], the first communication network was developed to enable the rapid transmission of information in a warring and unsafe country. That was the optical [[telegraphy]] network of [[Claude Chappe]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dilhac |first=J-M. |title=The Telegraph of Claude Chappe -an Optical Telecommunication Network for the Xviiith Century |url=https://mathcs.holycross.edu/~csci356/Dilhac.pdf |website=Mathematics, Computer Science, Statistics - College of the Holy Cross |access-date=27 September 2022 |archive-date=25 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220325202911/https://mathcs.holycross.edu/~csci356/Dilhac.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1878, after the invention of the electrical telegraph and then the invention of the [[telephone]], the French State created a [[Postes, télégraphes et téléphones (France)|Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs]]. Telephone services were nationalised and added to the ministry in 1889. However, it was not until 1923 that the second 'T' (for 'telephones') appeared and the department of P&T (Posts and Telegraphs) became PTT.

In 1941, a General Direction of Telecommunications was created within this ministry. Then, in 1944, the National Centre of Telecommunications Studies (CNET) was created to develop the telecommunications industry in France.{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}

In the 1970s, France attempted to make up for its delay in developing communications infrastructure, compared to other countries, by launching the programme "Delta LP" (increasing the main lines).{{citation needed|date=March 2022}} It was at that time that the majority of the local loop was built (that is all the cables linking the users to the operator). Moreover, with the help of French manufacturers, digital switching -- [[Minitel]] and the [[GSM]] standard—were invented by engineers and CNET researchers.

In 1982, Telecom introduced [[Minitel]] [[Online shopping|online ordering]] for its customers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/jun/28/minitel-france-says-farewell|title=France says farewell to the Minitel – the little box that connected a country|last=Chrisafis|first=Angelique|date=28 June 2012|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=11 January 2018|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

=== Creation of France Télécom (1988–1997) ===
Until 1988, France Télécom was known as the ''direction générale des Télécommunications'', a division of the [[Postes, télégraphes et téléphones (France)|Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications]]. It became autonomous in 1990. This was in response to a European directive, aimed at making competition mandatory in public services from 1 January 1998. The 2 July 1990 Bill changed France Télécom into an operator of public law, with Marcel Roulet as the first Chairman. Since then, the company has had a separate body corporate from the State and acquired financial autonomy. It was privatised by [[Lionel Jospin]]'s [[Plural Left]] government starting on 1 January 1998. The [[Cabinet of France|French government]], both directly and through its [[holding company]] [[Entreprise de recherches et d'activités pétrolières|ERAP]], continues to hold a stake of almost 27% in the company. In addition, the French government has a role in naming the CEO.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.orange.com/en/finance/stock-dividend-and-capital|title=Shareholding structure|publisher=France Telecom|access-date=6 April 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130201093852/http://www.orange.com/en/finance/stock-dividend-and-capital|archive-date=1 February 2013}}</ref>
In September 1995, [[Michel Bon]] was appointed to run France Télécom Group.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20040722005034/en/Esmertec-Welcomes-Michel-Bon-CEO-Chairman-France |title=Esmertec Welcomes Michel Bon, Former CEO and Chairman of France Telecom, to its Board|access-date=11 January 2018}}</ref>

=== 'Roaring Nineties' (1997–2000) ===
[[File:Logo of France Telecom (1998).svg|thumb|Logo as of 1998]]
[[File:Logo of France Telecom (1999).svg|thumb|Logo as of 1999]]
In 1997, the capital of the new public company was successfully floated whereas the [[dot-com bubble]] phenomenon made the [[stock exchange]]s bullish. A second share offering occurred in 1998. France Télécom got behind in the internationalisation launched by its international competitors such as [[Vodafone]], thus, it started looking for targets at the highest [[speculation]] rate of the dot-com bubble. Moreover, its alliance with [[Deutsche Telekom]] based on a reciprocal capital contribution of 2% broke off when [[Deutsche Telekom]] announced that they were planning to do business with [[Telecom Italia]] without letting the French know; even if this project ended up failing.

=== Acquisition of Orange and privatisation ===
{{see also|Orange UK#History}}
<timeline>

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  bar:Nom from:start till:01/04/1994 color:redorange text:"Microtel Communications Ltd" align:center align:center width:45
  bar:Nom from:01/04/1994 till:01/08/2000 color:orange text:"Orange plc" align:center align:center width:45
  bar:Nom from:01/08/2000 till:end color:redorange text:"Orange SA" align:center align:center width:45
  bar:Actionnaires from:start till:01/07/1991 color:redorange text:"Microtel" align:center width:45
  bar:Actionnaires from:01/07/1991 till:01/01/1996 color:orange text:"Hutchison Whampoa" align:center width:45
  bar:Actionnaires from:01/01/1996 till:01/09/1999 color:redorange text:"Hutchison Whampoa ~and ~British Aerospace" align:center width:45
  bar:Actionnaires from:01/09/1999 till:01/11/1999 color:orange text:"~Mannesmann AG" align:center width:45
  bar:Actionnaires from:01/11/1999 till:01/08/2000 color:redorange text:"Vodafone" align:center width:45
  bar:Actionnaires from:01/08/2000 till:end color:orange text:"France Télécom" align:center width:45
  bar:Faits from:13/02/2001 till:13/02/2001 color:black text:"French stock exchange introdution" width:50 fontsize:M 
  bar:Faits from:01/06/2001 till:01/06/2001 color:black text:"~ ~Itinéris, Ola and ~Mobicarte become Orange" width:50 fontsize:M
  bar:Faits from:01/06/2006 till:01/06/2006 color:black text:"Wanadoo becomes Orange" width:50 fontsize:M 
  bar:Faits from:21/11/2003 till:21/11/2003 color:black text:"~Exits Paris Stock Exchange" width:50 fontsize:M 
  bar:Faits from:01/11/2008 till:01/11/2008 color:black text:"~Orange Cinéma Séries ~and Orange Sport ~launch" width:50 fontsize:M

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In July 1991, Hutchison Telecom, a UK subsidiary of the Hong Kong-based conglomerate [[Hutchison Whampoa]], acquired a controlling stake in Microtel Communications Ltd, which by then had acquired a licence to develop a mobile network in the United Kingdom.<ref name=OBS-H-04/><ref name=OBS-H-35/><ref name="Hutchinson actionnaire majoritaire microtel"/> Hutchison renamed Microtel to Orange Personal Communications Services Ltd, and on 28 April 1994 the Orange brand was launched in the UK mobile phone market. A holding company structure was adopted in 1995 with the establishment of Orange plc. In April 1996, Orange went public and floated on the London Stock Exchange and [[NASDAQ]],<ref name=OBS-H-38/> majority-owned by Hutchison (48.22%),<ref name=OBS-H-36/><ref name=OBS-H-37/> followed by BAe (21.1%).<ref name=OBS-H-38/> In June 1996, it became the youngest company to enter the [[FTSE 100 Index|FTSE 100]], valued at £2.4 billion.

In October 1999, the German conglomerate Mannesmann AG acquired Orange for a price equivalent to €7,900 per customer, i.e. US$33&nbsp;billion.<ref name=OBS-H-10/><ref name=OBS-H-17/><ref name="Mannesman rachete Orange pour 33 milliards de dollars"/> Mannesmann's acquisition of Orange triggered Vodafone to make a [[takeover|hostile takeover]] bid for Mannesmann. Shortly thereafter, in February 2000, Vodafone acquired Mannesmann for US$183&nbsp;billion, and decided to divest Orange because [[Regulation (European Union)|EU regulations]] would not allow it to hold two mobile licences.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/630293.stm| title=Vodafone seals Mannesmann merger| publisher =BBC| date = 11 February 2000| access-date =26 December 2008}}</ref>

In August 2000, France Télécom bought Orange plc from Vodafone for a total estimated cost of €39.7&nbsp;billion.<ref name=OBS-H-20/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/769293.stm|title=France Telecom clinches Orange deal|publisher=BBC|date=30 May 2000|access-date=9 June 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://lexpansion.lexpress.fr/entreprise/france-telecom-boucle-le-rachat-d-orange_85805.html|title=TELECOMS: France Télécom boucle le rachat d'Orange - LExpansion.com|publisher=Lexpansion.lexpress.fr|date=22 August 2000|access-date=29 April 2013|archive-date=19 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170619111316/http://lexpansion.lexpress.fr/entreprises/|url-status=dead}}</ref> At the time, France Télécom also bought stakes in several other international firms (GlobalOne, [[Orange Business Services|Equant]], Internet Telecom, [[Freeserve]], EresMas, [[NTL Incorporated|NTL]] and Mobilcom), of which some have since been sold back. Through this process, France Télécom became the fourth-biggest global operator. The mobile telephone operations of Orange plc were merged with the majority of the mobile operations of France Télécom, forming the new group Orange S.A.

On 13 February 2001, Orange S.A. was listed on the [[Euronext Paris]] stock exchange with an [[initial public offering]] of €95 per share, with a secondary listing in London.<ref name="France 3 entrée en bourse Orange"/> In May 2001, Orange S.A. was listed on the [[CAC 40]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.silicon.fr/opa-sur-orange-et-wanadoo-les-petits-porteurs-sont-en-colere-4380.html|title=OPA sur Orange et Wanadoo: les petits porteurs sont en colère|publisher=Silicon.fr|date=24 February 2004|access-date=29 April 2013|archive-date=21 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921040140/https://www.silicon.fr/opa-sur-orange-et-wanadoo-les-petits-porteurs-sont-en-colere-4380.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> the benchmark stock market index of the top 40 French companies in terms of [[market capitalisation]].<ref name="Notices Euronext entrée Orange"/>

In June 2001, the France Telecom Mobile brands [[Itinéris]], [[OLA (Mobile phone)|OLA]], and [[Mobicarte]] were replaced by the Orange brand. On 21 November 2003, France Telecom withdrew the 13.7% of Orange's shares traded on the [[Euronext Paris|Paris stock exchange]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 December 2003 |title=Orange: l'ADAM gagne un sursis jusqu'à l'examen de ses recours |url=https://www.boursier.com/actions/actualites/news/orange-l-adam-gagne-un-sursis-jusqu-a-l-examen-de-ses-recours-80195.html |access-date=2023-01-01 |website=Boursier.com |language=fr}}</ref>

On 2 October 2002, the CEO, [[Thierry Breton]] was given the task of turning the company around after the company became crippled by debt following the drop of the company's stock price. On 30 September 2002, the company's stock price was €6.94, down from €219 on 2 March 2000. France Télécom was the second most indebted company worldwide in terms of short-term liabilities. The company obtained €15&nbsp;billion of debt adjustment that needed to be borne by banks and investors, another €15&nbsp;billion as a capital increase from the French State since it was still the majority shareholder, and an additional 15bn in cash from internal savings. On 25 February 2005, Thierry Breton was appointed [[Minister of the Economy, Industry and Employment (France)|Minister of Finance and Industry]] and [[Didier Lombard]], who had been head of the firm's new technologies division, replaced him as CEO.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aWQM6cGZu.Uw&refer=europe|title=France Telecom Names Lombard Chief Executive, Replacing Breton|last=Ruitenberg|first=Rudy|date=27 February 2005|publisher=Bloomberg|access-date=6 April 2009}}</ref>

=== NeXT scheme and rebranding to Orange (2006–present) ===
[[File:France Télécom.svg|thumb|upright=1.0|right|Logo of France Télécom from 2006 until 2013.]]

The NeXT scheme was the recovery plan for France Télécom which aimed at, among other things, reducing costs, especially wage costs, carrying on a converging policy for its products and services, and grouping together all the brands under a single brand, except for the activities dealing with fixed-line telephone which would stay under the designation 'France Télécom'. Consequently, this led to the disappearance of a number of brands.

From 1 June 2006, France Télécom tried to commercialise all its products under a single worldwide brand, becoming the sole brand of the France Telecom group for Internet, television and mobile services in the majority of countries in which Orange operated. [[Orange Business Services]] became the brand for all its business services offerings worldwide, replacing the Equant brand. In June 2007, Orange and [[Mid Europa Partners]] acquired Austrian mobile network company One, re-branding it as [[Orange Austria]]. In 2012, it was sold to [[Hutchison 3G]] and the Orange Austria brand was terminated.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mideuropa.com/media/news/2012/mid-europa-announces-agreement-for-the-sale-of-orange-austria-to-hutchison-3g-austria/|title=Mid Europa Announces Agreement for The Sale of Orange Austria to Hutchison 3G Austria|date=3 February 2012|access-date=7 August 2013|archive-date=7 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170707095958/http://www.mideuropa.com/media/news/2012/mid-europa-announces-agreement-for-the-sale-of-orange-austria-to-hutchison-3g-austria/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In November 2008, Orange launched five Orange Cinema Series channels. To do so, Orange bought the exclusive rights from [[Warner Bros.]]<ref name="Orange achete les droits de Warner Bros., Gaumont et HBO" /> for first runs of all new films, previously held by [[TPS Star]] (a subsidiary of the [[Canal+ Group]]), as well as all films in its catalogue and rights to the film catalogues of [[Gaumont Film Company|Gaumont]], [[HBO]]<ref name="Orange achète les droits de HBO"/> and [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]].<ref name="Orange achete les droits de MGM"/> Orange also secured exclusive rights to broadcast Saturday evening [[Ligue 1]] football matches from the [[French Football Federation]].<ref name="Orange a les droits de la ligue 1 sur le match du samedi soir"/> [[Free (ISP)|Free]] accused Orange of tied-selling as the Orange channels were only available to its subscribers.<ref name="SFR et Free portent plainte contre Orange"/> In June 2008, the firm abandoned a €27&nbsp;billion bid for Swedish operator [[TeliaSonera]] after the two companies failed to agree terms.<ref>{{cite news|last=Gow|first=David|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2008/jul/01/telecomindustry|title=TeliaSonera: France Télécom hangs up on Swedish operator|newspaper=The Guardian|date=1 July 2008|access-date=9 April 2009}}</ref>

In 2008, Orange was given permission from [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] to sell the [[iPhone]] in Austria, Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Jordan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Switzerland and Orange's African markets.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.francetelecom.com/en_EN/press/press_releases/cp080516uk.html|title=Orange brings iPhone to customers in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East|publisher=Orange
|date=16 May 2008|access-date=20 May 2006}}</ref> On 8 September 2009, Orange and [[T-Mobile International AG|T-Mobile]] parent [[Deutsche Telekom]] announced they were in advanced talks to merge their UK operations to create the largest mobile operator with 37% of the market. Both T-Mobile and Orange brands were kept due to differences in their targeted markets. T-Mobile remained the budget-conscious offering and Orange the premium one, although there was some overlap as of February 2011.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8243226.stm|title=T-Mobile and Orange in UK merger|work=BBC News|date=8 September 2009 |access-date=2 May 2010}}</ref>

On 5 April 2009, Orange won an Arbitration Court case against Orascom Telecom, forcing Orascom to transfer its stake in Mobinil to Orange at a price of {{EGP|441,658}} per Mobinil share.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.orange.com/en_EN/press/press_releases/cp090405en.html|title=Orange.com|access-date=6 December 2014|archive-date=10 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710151108/https://www.orange.com/fr/accueil|url-status=dead}}</ref> On 28 October 2009, Orange changed the name of its Luxembourgish telecommunication company VOXMobile to Orange.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tijd.be/nieuws/ondernemingen_media_telecom/VOX_(Mobistar)_wordt_Orange_.8247906-435.art|title=De Tijd, 20 October 2009}}</ref> On 5 November 2009, [[Orange Armenia]] launched telecommunication services in [[Armenia]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.orangearmenia.am/en/about-orange-armenia/index.php|title=Orange Armenia Official Website|access-date=6 December 2014|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304102437/http://orangearmenia.am/en/about-orange-armenia/index.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> On 11 December 2009, Egypt's regulator approved an offer from a unit of France Telecom (Orange) to buy Mobinil.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Sharp |first1=Alastair |last2=El Dahan |first2=Maha |date=2009-12-10 |title=Egypt regulator OKs France Tel bid for Mobinil |language=en |work=[[Reuters]] |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/francetelecom-mobinil-idUSGEE5B92JZ20091210 |access-date=2023-01-01}}</ref> In 2010, Orange's CEO, Didier Lombard, was replaced by Stéphane Richard.<ref name="Stéphane Richard replace Didier Lombard" /> The company was also reorganised internally, most notably with the arrival of former Culture Minister Christine Albanel as head of communications for the group.<ref name="Christine Albanel rejoint Orange" /> In mid-April 2010, Orange UK announced that it would outsource the management of its broadband network to BT. This announcement was greeted positively by broadband commentators, who felt that the move was likely to improve Orange's broadband quality and customer services.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.choose.co.uk/news/orange-broadband-outsource-to-bt.html|title=Orange's successful broadband outsourcing |publisher=Choose.co.uk|date=21 October 2011|access-date=29 April 2013}}</ref>

On 2 March 2012, [[Didier Lombard]], who remained special advisor to [[Stéphane Richard]], left the company.<ref name="Stephane Richarge quitte Orange" /> His departure was shadowed by controversy over his stock options: he was suspected of having stayed with the company longer to wait for the France Telecom share to recover and then exercise his stock option. The share was trading at around €16, whereas his stock options were at €23.<ref name="Détails départ de Stephane Richard" /> On 3 February 2012, [[Hutchison Whampoa]] announced that it would buy [[Orange Austria]] for US$1.7&nbsp;billion.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16866032 |title=Hutchison to buy Orange Austria as it seeks expansion|publisher=BBC News|date=2 March 2012|access-date=31 August 2013}}</ref> The deal closed on 3 January 2013,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hutchison-orange-austria-idUSBRE9020BR20130103 |title=Hutchison Whampoa closes acquisition of Orange Austria |work=Reuters |date=3 January 2013 |access-date=31 August 2013 |first=Michael |last=Shields}}</ref> and the Orange brand was phased out on 19 August 2013, when its operations were merged into 3.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-austria-telecoms-hutchison-idUSBRE97I0AJ20130819 |title=Hutchison keeps rock-bottom tariff after Orange Austria buy|work=Reuters|date=19 August 2013|access-date=31 August 2013|first=Georgina|last=Prodhan}}</ref> In March 2012, France Télécom bought 93.9% of [[Mobinil]], an Egyptian mobile operator, from [[Naguib Sawiris]]'s Orascom Telecom Media and Technology (OTMT) in an effort to double its revenue in MENA by 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://english.nuqudy.com/North_Africa/France_Telecom_Buys-1989|title=France Telecom Buys Egypt's Mobinil|publisher=Nuqudy|date=29 May 2012|access-date=31 August 2013|archive-date=14 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131114151743/http://english.nuqudy.com/North_Africa/France_Telecom_Buys-1989|url-status=usurped}}</ref> On 28 May 2013 at the Annual Shareholders' Meeting, shareholders approved changing the name of the group to Orange S.A. This became effective on 1 July 2013.<ref name="Name change">{{cite web|url=http://www.orange.com/en/press/press-releases/press-releases-2013/France-Telecom-to-become-Orange-on-1-July-2013|title=France Telecom to become Orange on 1 July 2013|publisher=Orange|date=28 May 2013|access-date=14 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924061425/http://www.orange.com/en/press/press-releases/press-releases-2013/France-Telecom-to-become-Orange-on-1|archive-date=24 September 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> In September 2014, Orange agreed a deal to acquire [[Spain|Spanish]] firm [[Jazztel]] for a fee of around €3.4&nbsp;billion.<ref>{{cite press release|work=Reuters|date=15 September 2014|title=Orange strikes 3.4 billion euro deal to buy Spain's Jazztel|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-orange-jazztel-idUSKBN0HA1SM20140915}}</ref>

As of October 2018, Orange has teamed up with [[Google]] in order to install a [[Transatlantic communications cable|transatlantic]] undersea cable, [[Dunant (submarine communications cable)|Dunant]], to share data between the [[United States]] and [[France]] at faster speeds. Planned to begin operation in 2020, the fibre-based cable has a design capacity of 250 terabits per second (Tbit/s) and will span approximately 6600 [[kilometers|kilometres]] in length.<ref>{{cite web|title=Google and Orange building cable between US and France |website=[[TheGuardian.com]]|date=15 October 2018|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/oct/15/google-orange-building-cable-between-us-france}}</ref>

In July 2020, Orange launched a satellite-based home broadband service utilising the [[Eutelsat Konnect|Eutelsat Konnect satellite]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Orange partners with Eutelsat to provide broadband via satellite throughout France|url=https://www.orange.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2020/orange-partners-eutelsat-provide-broadband-satellite-throughout-france|access-date=18 March 2021|website=orange.com}}</ref>