6 last year despite the recruitment of 1

The competitive, tax and regulatory of the French market for the mobile environment is "difficult". The observation was made yesterday by leaders of Vivendi, parent company of SFR with 56 of the capital. Indeed, in a few months, the context has changed. The VAT increase will eventually not passed on the Bill for consumers, decided SFR leaders after weeks of hesitation. This decision will cost between 100 and 200 million euros"for the operator, according to Vivendi, and allowed at least to put an end to a total cacophony of several days for customers. Regulated rates continue, to lower and Free Mobile should open its services in January 2012. Therefore, if, in 2010, "SFR succeeded in limiting the decline in its gross operating surplus" at 3 in the mobile, according to Philippe Capron, Chief Financial Officer of Vivendi, it will be the case this year. In 2011, the Group table on a "gross operating income decline" of SFR in the mobile. A financial analyst believes the decline 7 in 2011. Taxes, regulation and the arrival of a fourth operator are plotted of the finger. "The fourth entrant competition requires all stakeholders to revise their tariff grids", argued yesterday Philippe Capron.

In mid-November 2010, three weeks after Orange, SFR has unveiled a new range of packages that, according to the calculations of analysts, let appear a decrease in the price of the order of 3 to 8 euros per month according to subscriptions. Bouygues Telecom should, him, announce its new policy on the matter tomorrow. In short, the turnover, and consequently the benefit of the French mobile operators, is under pressure. Frank Esser, the CEO of SFR, has also confessed it: "turnover by client moves, as we lower the price." On the other side, the second French telecoms operator saves "a slight increase of the costs with the development of"smartphones". The latter, which are now 28 of clients of the operator, are indeed more expensive to subsidize. An iPhone is purchased approximately 420 euros by an operator but is resold at least for 99 euros.

This trend is visible in the 2010 SFR accounts. The turnover of mobile activity decreased by 0.6 last year, despite the recruitment of 1.3 million new subscribers in one year. At the same time, sales of Orange have, increased by 0.6. But safe remains very profitable. Its gross operating surplus total, including the fixed is set at EUR 4 billion. It must be said that the performance of SFR in the broadband Internet continues to be enviable. The Group recruited new subscribers 443.000 ADSL last year, against 274.000 for Orange. To counter Free, SFR has included unlimited calls to mobiles from the "box" for 3 euros more per month. And its access Evolution, the new version of the modem, has elapsed to best 200,000 between mid-November and the end of February. Thus, in 2011, the gross fixed activity operating surplus should advance this year, while the group gives more indications. One can understand Vivendi. The mother House wishes to redeem the 44 of the capital of SFR it does not, to Vodafone, "at a reasonable price", in the words of Jean-Bernard Lévy, the President of the Executive Board of Vivendi. The latter has therefore no interest in more information on forecasts of SFR, under penalty of the valorisation of assets increase, and therefore the final addition to outwit. Thus, the French boss refused to indicate where the negotiations with the British Vodafone are.