French telecom operators Orange, Bouygues Telecom, and Free have submitted a joint non-binding offer to acquire a large part of Altice France's telecom activities, SFR's parent company, for 17 billion euros. This move represents a first step in the long-awaited consolidation of France's telecom sector. The decision now rests with Patrick Drahi, Altice's leader.
Following intense weeks of negotiations that began in September, Orange, Bouygues Telecom, and Free announced in a press release issued shortly after 8:30 p.m. on October 14, 2025, the submission of a joint offer to acquire assets from Altice France. The three operators have agreed on sharing SFR's assets, the operator with the red logo, and propose to take over significant telecom activities for 17 billion euros.
According to the press release, this operation aims to « ensure service continuity for SFR customers » while strengthening « investments in the resilience of very high-speed networks, in cybersecurity, and also in new technologies like artificial intelligence ». The operators emphasize that this partnership would « consolidate control of strategic infrastructures for the country » while preserving « a competitive ecosystem ».
This represents a first step in the much-awaited consolidation of France's telecom sector, where reducing the number of operators from four to three is frequently discussed. The ball is now in Patrick Drahi's court, who must evaluate this non-binding offer amid Altice France's financial restructuring context.