A decrease in the price is claimed by Free

In weightlessness for months, will the record of the fourth licence for mobile finally lead to a concrete decision This is, in all cases, claimed the 23 players who responded to the public consultation on the subject by Arcep, the authority of regulation of telecommunications ("Les Echos" of yesterday). A unison, operators, manufacturers, consumers association or local communities believe that now there is "urgency" to act. All insisted that a call for applications should be "quickly launched in 2008" to find out, once and for all, who will be allocated bands frequency promised to the world of telecommunications. Arcep is, she says, open "to quickly propose the commitment of the procedure. The ball is therefore more than ever in the camp of the Government, which is including the decision to fix the price of this famous fourth license. If there is urgency, it is that these frequencies are many. Not surprisingly, the three operators in place Orange, SFR and Bouygues Telecom say they them needed to cope with the growth of the market. But they are not alone in wanting to get their hands on this manna. The Free Internet access provider, Kertel prepaid telephony operator, the angevin Altitude Telecom operator or even WiMax Bolloré Telecom and Inquam Broadband operators all expressed interested in all or part of the spectrum. As the cable operator Numericable, it was not desired make public its decision.

For a new entrant

One thing is certain: since more than a year, Free dream to be the fourth mobile operator in France and it is today the most serious candidate via its parent, Iliad.

But the three mobile operators in place do not want to see tumbled down this troublemaker of telecommunications on their hunting ground. "They consider that the market is sufficiently dynamic and competitive" and "that a fourth operator have harmful effects for the sector and the economy", can be read in the synthesis of the public consultation. But Orange, SFR and Bouygues Telecom are clearly the only share this opinion. "The core of contributors ...". "considers that the entry of a fourth mobile operator will have positive effects on the market and that it is essential to stimulate competition to the benefit of the consumer", continues the regulator. According to consumer associations, some virtual mobile operators (MVNO) and potential candidates, a fourth operator would lower prices and would boost innovation in services. In addition, this new entrant could, according to them, contribute to stimulate competition by being more welcoming to the MVNO. The opposite of the three operators in place, who believe that the tariff conditions made them "are already relatively satisfactory. For most stakeholders, the development of the MVNO must be "in addition to the entry of a fourth network operator" but can in no way substitute.

For Constable of telecommunications, "it is therefore a procedure maintaining a priority for a new typing must be launched". A letter of Arcep arguing in this sense is also to be sent to the Government. Two scenarios are considered in this case: either a sale of all of the frequencies to a new entrant, or a cut of the licence in several blocks, of which two-thirds would be reserved for a new operator. But "financial conditions appear to represent the main issue in the choice of the procedure," indicates the Arcep. A decrease in the price is claimed by Free. It is now up to the Government to decide. But before that, he promised a debate in Parliament on the subject. The drama of the fourth licence is therefore far from over.