2 a year earlier their position is marginal

The France is behind the Spain, the countries of Europe in which the mobile invoice is the highest. This is the unflattering realization that gives the European Commission in the report she published this morning on the State of competition in Europe in the telecoms sector. And the table shadow since last year because the France still ranked fourth in 2007. The minute prices are certainly in the average European and they have even declined last year, but less quickly that elsewhere.

But, "in 2008, the average Bill approaches 30 euros in France when it does not exceed 20 euros in the whole of the Union", said Viviane Reding, Commissioner in charge of the society of information and media, which, to establish its ranking, based on the price of the best national offer for average use (65 calls and 50 SMS sent per month). In fact, the France is to promote the most vocal consumers with so-called packages "in abundance", but to pay the mobile access to the less greedy clients. The Commission also notes that the mobile penetration is 88.4 in France against 119 on average in the Union. But the report acknowledged that this figure is explained in part by the low share of prepaid on the French market (34). In some countries (such as the Italy), many subscribers have indeed several prepaid subscriptions to receive special offers.

"Limited dynamism."

Good European student for broadband in the fixed, the French market is is characterized, in the course of the past years, "by its limited dynamism" on the mobile front, said Brussels. Virtual mobile operators (MVNO) struggle to instil competition: with 5.8 of the market (against 4.2 a year earlier), their position is marginal. Result, the market shares of the three operators is crumbling of less than a point between October 2007 and October 2008: Orange passes in 44.3 to 43.6, 34.1 to 33.4 SFR and Bouygues Telecom from 17.4 to 17.2. "In view of the stability of the market, it appears that the MVNO does not have significant impact on competition," said the Commission. "They need to deal with restrictive conditions, their making difficult competition," she said.

So many arguments which justify the arrival of a fourth player on the market, as just deciding the French Government. "The entry of a fourth operator could contribute to improving competition and choice for consumers," said the Commission. The terms of this new licensing suitable "We let be the French authorities." "They make it very well," deflects Viviane Reding.

The Commissioner also welcomes other measures taken to solve the problems"on the French market, as the decision of the Arcep reduce here in 2012 voice call termination charges to mobile pay between operators, or the will of the Government to release spectrum for services under the"digital dividend"(the frequencies released by the transition from analogue to digital) wireless. "There is a willingness of the regulator and the policy that the France leaves this unusual place on the European scene", said Viviane Reding. And hope: "measures should begin to feel their effects by the next year."