Orange launches in Spain

As of Tuesday 3rd October, France Telecom Spain, the collective name for the group of mobile, internet and fixed-lines companies owned by the France Telecom Group will introduce the Orange brand, thereby signifying a new era in integrated telecommunications in the Spanish market. The evolution of Orange from mobile operator to total communications provider, is at the heart of France Telecom's NExT strategy for integrated telecommunications, which will see the company use Orange as its flagship brand worldwide. Spain is the latest market in the France Telecom Group to introduce the Orange brand, strengthening Orange's position as Europe's second largest mobile and internet provider. Orange now reaches more than 100 million customers across the world.

In Spain, the existing brands of Amena, the mobile operator purchased by France Telecom in July 2005 and Wanadoo, the internet services provider will both be replaced by the Orange brand. In addition, today also sees the disappearance of the Equant and Uni2 brands in Spain with the launch of Orange Business Services, representing a single banner for Spain's business communications services for large and multinational businesses. Business customers in Spain will now benefit from Orange's expertise in business across 220 countries and territories with one of the industry's broadest product and service portfolios.

Didier Lombard, Chief Executive Officer, France Telecom Group, said: "Spain is a significant and important market for our integrated operator strategy. With our fixed, mobile and internet assets in Spain, we are ideally positioned to implement our NExT strategy for delivering simple, innovative and convergent services to our customers. We look forward to building on the strong performance achieved in this market to date."

Sanjiv Ahuja, Chief Executive Officer, Orange SA, said: ""The Orange brand has long proved to be a unique competitive advantage in other countries where we have launched it and this is because it stands for a way of doing business that aims to enhance people's lives by removing barriers and delivering straightforward, simple-to-use products and services that are based on an intimate knowledge of our customers' needs. We are very excited to be extending the Orange 'experience' to customers in Spain."

Belarmino Garcia, Chief Executive Officer, France Telecom Spain, commented:" I am proud of what we have achieved to date and am looking forward to a new era in our company's history - as Spain's first integrated operator. Being part of an international group with one of the world's most powerful brands provides us with the opportunity to launch something new and exciting that will undoubtedly propel our business forward in the market place."

Orange customers in Spain can look forward to the following new improvements in the customer experience including:

Customer service

- A single portal, orangees - providing customers with access to products, services and content for fixed, mobile, internet and television. Customers can add new services, select entertainment on-demand, and communicate through this portal

- A single customer service number (1414) - simplifying the way that customers communicate with Orange in Spain

- A single customer loyalty programme - beginning in 2007, the initiative will reward Orange fixed, mobile, internet and television customers.

- More than 4,000 points of sale - will be completely redesigned to encompass key Orange elements, allowing customers to experience an attractive new retail environment for all services.

Products and service innovation

- The "Unique" Phone - Orange extends the launch of the Unique phone to Spain - offering customers a phone that switches seamlessly between the fixed and mobile networks depending on the user's location. This product is scheduled for launch in December.

- Mobile Broadband with "Business Everywhere" - the Group's familiar business product has been extended to Spain, allowing busy people to connect to the internet even when they are away from their office, providing simple and easy to use mobile access

- Quadruple Play - providing households with all their entertainment and communication needs free of usage or time restrictions. The service includes round-the-clock ADSL connection, unlimited calls to fixed phones nationwide, fixed-to-mobile and mobile-to-fixed calls, and television

- Orange TV - since this product's extremely successful launch in Spain last June, coverage has already been expanded three times to reach more than 4 million households. Next year, Orange in Spain will launch ADSL television in high definition, which is currently in the testing phase, but promises to deliver exceptional sound and image quality.

- Orange World - customers accessing this new WAP portal from their Orange mobile, will have access to a new world of content and services.

- SIM+ - the high-capacity SIM+ card will enable customers to store large amounts of data such as MP3s, photos, videos, etc., on their phones, eliminating the need for additional memory.

- New music services: including a recommendation service for music by both new and established artists. This service analyses every musical selection in order to make further recommendations. Also, with Enjoy your music, Orange in Spain will offer the best in music for your mobile phone, with the option to download complete MP3-quality songs to your mobile phone and personal computer at the same time and at no extra cost.

- Numbers Plus - allowing Orange fixed line customers to make up to 1,000 minutes of free calls from their fixed phone to any Orange mobile. Also, each of the mobiles selected numbers will enjoy free calls to their fixed phone (up to 1,000 minutes per month).

- Enjoy Orange - allows customers to make unlimited phone calls during a specific period of time for a nominal monthly fee. With 'Enjoy your moment', customers can pick any 2 hours each day in which to make unlimited calls anywhere nationwide, on both fixed or mobile phones; 'Enjoy your weekend' allows customers to call anywhere nationwide for free on weekends, on both fixed and mobile phones.

Orange Business Services

In addition, Orange in Spain will leverage its mobile and fixed assets to provide its large and multinational business customers with customised, consistent solutions including:

- Triple play for Business: The first convergent service (IP telephony, data and mobile) on the Spanish market that marries the advantages of IP telephony and mobile VPN services. This translates into a convergence of prices and services, with a single plan for speed dial, a single directory service, a unified voicemail box, repeat dial and three-way conferencing, etc.

- International VPN and Roaming for Business - Orange extends its competitive international and roaming rates, regardless of the international carrier used when travelling. International VPN provides an international extension of the nationwide 'virtual private network' with special rates for calls between Orange mobiles within the same company.