PARIS (AFP)--France has delayed a tender for a fourth mobile
phone license in order to examine the conditions, a top official
said Wednesday, as existing operators warned they could go to court
if the price were set too low.
"We have decided, just to be absolutely sure on this point, to
request a new study on the total price of the license," French
Secretary of State for Industry Luc Chatel said in an interview on
Radio Classique.
"We have asked the commission in charge of evaluating state
assets to check that this amount corresponds clearly to the price
of the fourth license," Chatel said, adding the tender would take
place "by the summer."
Chatel has said that the license will cost EUR206 million.
Existing operators SFR, Orange and Bouygues SA (EN.FR) - who
paid far more for their licenses - warn the bar shouldn't be set
too low for new entrants and have held out the possibility of court
action if the financial conditions are deemed to be unfair.
French group Iliad SA (ILD.FR), which owns the popular Internet
access provider Free, has already said it will be bidding for the
third-generation mobile network license, while Virgin Mobile says
it is looking into a possible bid.