Leave a Comment

Orange get's beat down by France's Competition Council
9 to 5 Mac - Apple Intelligence — ... Would AT&T's iPhone service be any better if the US had a similar policy as France's new ruling indicates?  It isn't just France either.  Apple is forced to sell an open iPhone in many other countries.  Maybe Verizon wouldn't charge $15 to send 200 SMS's?  Meybe Tmobile would offer a 1 year deal?  Or Sprint would charge less for mobile broadband (WiMAX?)   We can only wonder. ...

In France, Apple must let other carriers sell iPhone
The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) — ... as the Council continues its investigation, likely to take a year or more. Both SFR (the second-largest carrier in France) and Bouygues Telecom (the third largest) hope to begin selling the handsets soon. In a statement, the Competition Council said that the Apple-Orange agreement posed a "serious and immediate threat" to competition among carriers, and higher costs for customers. France Telecom plans to appeal the decision. [Via BusinessWeek and Reuters.] TUAWIn France, Apple must let other carriers sell iPhone ...

Apple Forced to End iPhone Exclusivity in France
MacBlogz - One Stop Apple News — ... The ruling is said to take effect by Thursday of this week, in hopes that customers will be able to purchase the handset from both Bouygues Telecom and the country’s second largest outfit, SFR, owned by France’s Vivendi SA. France Telecom had noted their intentions to appeal the decision stating, “it places France in a radically different position” than Britain, Germany and Spain, where Apple has also struck exclusivity deals. ...

Apple and Orange Lose Their Sweetheart Deal
TheAppleBlog — ... A French watchdog agency has decided that the exclusive deal between Apple and France Telecom’s Orange is not fair and must be suspended. The suspension of the deal is set to take place no later than Thursday of this week. The reason for the short time frame for implementation is to give a chance to Orange rivals SFR and Bouygues Telecom to capitalize on holiday iPhone sales. An SFR spokesman said they were planning to begin selling the iPhone within a few hours of the decision, if Apple is cooperative. ...