But finally he announced that he would not go a week ago

More than ten days out of the wood... but always person for Free. Public Internet operator is the only one to have said loud and clear that he wanted to get the fourth mobile license. Tens of thousands of pages of his candidacy were sent to the commercial printer last Friday. As with other potential contenders, their number is reduced as shrinking with the approach of the date limit for filing to Arcep, the telecom regulatory authority. Namely on Thursday, October 29 at noon. And despite the Elysian encouragement. In September, Nicolas Sarkozy had indeed publicly doubted the usefulness of a fourth operator that break price - a barely veiled criticism of the strategy of Iliad, the mother House of Free.

Numericable isolated

Is there someone else for the challenge The major European operators such as Telefonica and KPN have other concerns and other markets to conquer. Bolloré, Wimax license holder, has abandoned the idea for a long time. The small Kertel had left time hear that he watched the record threw the sponge. The Egyptian Orascom, having attempted to ally with Free, sought to set up a consortium with Numericable. But finally, he announced that he would not go, a week ago.

Remains the last hypothesis, that of a consortium Numericable-Virgin Mobile... also that begins to blink. Both groups have indicated that they would expose their intentions until October 29.

But in early October, at the presentation of its quarterly results, Charles Dunstone, Carphone Warehouse boss shareholder with more than 45 of Virgin Mobile, reiterated that he was "not ready to be assigned a large sum to a fourth licence in France".While he was asked to clarify if he was rather interested by the mounting of a consortium for the licence or the development of its virtual mobile operator (MVNO), he stated that the MVNO is his priority. "Of course we are passionate understanding what is happening in the market, how the fourth licence will be won and what it means for the French market", he added.

This is akin to an attitude of observer. Virgin Mobile has other projects: the Group thus announced Thursday the acquisition of Tele2 Mobile for EUR 56 million. This acquisition will enable curling 2 millions of customers. For the number one of the MVNO in France, the urgency is apparently to strengthen rapidly to more directly control its customers and its network. Since the fourth operator will have obligation to facilitate the development of the MVNO on its network, Virgin Mobile will find his account. The Group was already see Free for what conditions it would the new entrant if he won the license. Among the French MVNO, it says "is there not an also huge difference believed between being the 4th operator and our profession, since while not bad for years, 80 of the traffic of the new entrant will be on the network of others".Indeed, one who will be chosen to compete with the Orange-SFR-Bouy - gues Telecom trio will take eight years to cover 80 of the French population with its own antennas. In the meantime he will negotiate with other operators a right of passage on their networks, as do already MVNO (read below).

Rest Numericable... The cable operator controlled by investment funds is still heavily in debt and should rely on financial partners to set up a possible bid. The defection of Orascom, a telecommunications operator has reserves of cash, obviously dealt a hard blow to its projects. That of Virgin Mobile would be decisive, because Numericable always said that he would not go alone to obtain a licence. In this ballet of indecisive applicants, Free application at least has the merit to be firm.