But it will take to conquer new countries

Jerash, an hour's drive from Amman. A shiny convoy enters the Court of the small school, hosted by a hedge of honor. Girls in uniform chant words of welcome and strike hands. Amina, Shirin, Nasreen and other mischievous kids to teenagers in the box face with a veil and Jet hair length prepared the arrival of dignitaries to Orange Jordan. The subsidiary of France Telecom in Jordan reclaimed their premises in an initiative launched by Queen Rania. Library, conference room, football field are new. On the repainted facades lie in large orange letters of the words of Arabic and English ("discover", "learn"...) like to be mistaken in an advertising brochure of the group. The brand remains discrete, but raises its footprint.

In Jordan, Orange plays the card of the legitimacy and the proximity. On his first trip to the country last week, the new boss, Stéphane Richard, was surprised to be received by King Abdullah - which usually only spoke to the Presidents and not the general managers, although even this is the first foreign investor in his Kingdom. It is true that France Telecom is the historical operator since the privatization of Jordan Telecom in 2000. He holds 51 of Orange Jordan. In ten years, the number of clients jumped 650,000 more than 4.5 million. Single operator market for Internet access in the Hashemite Kingdom, Orange Jordan has just 12 months of exclusivity to market mobile broadband (3 G) to the 6 million people. A perfect opportunity to catch her on Zain, whose market share exceeds 40 versus 31 for Orange. The arrival of the mobile Internet may also enable it stuck its margins in a market three ultraconcurrentiel.

Jordan issues

However, for Stéphane Richard, which began two months ago a tour of the international subsidiaries prior to the formalization of its July 1, the Jordan enterprise project deals with other issues. The pattern of France Telecom has set objective of doubling the turnover achieved in emerging countries (EUR 3.6 billion) over five years. Because their growth is tempting. As Marc Rennard, which oversees operations in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, "demography in Africa, it is money that falls from the sky for telecom operators." But it will take to conquer new countries. But opportunities are more so many, and beyond the Mediterranean, the competition is with the British Vodafone, the the African MTN, the Swedes of Millicom or Indian Bharti - coming to buy Zain. Some Governments such as the Yemen, who is considering selling the historic operator, France Telecom may avail of a successful experience of privatization in Jordan. It could also be a candidate to the redemption of Benin Telecom to here in mid-July. Nitel, the huge ex-monopole of Nigeria, is less tempting: too many employees, too few assets, political risk.

France Telecom flirts with other hopes in the area. First in the form of a purchase of private enterprise, as in Egypt classic where he just complete the buyout of Mobinil (26 million customers). Bharti could rid itself of certain assets of Zain in the Gulf to finance its costly licence 3 G in India. MTN is expensive, at around 14 billion euros, but would be a good decision-making. To the Morocco, owners of Meditel funds could be vendors. Similarly the mobile operator Algeria Djezzy, currently owned by Orascom, but who has trouble with the tax authorities. Political hazards might complicate the situation.

A watch for the new licences, Orange is looking to Burkina Faso, where the third operator comes to be disconnected, and Togo. In Tunisia, it opened early may its exclusive licence for a year for 3 G, with 45 coverage rate. And its subsidiary Sofrecom, who has already signed contracts of management in Iran, Libya, to the Yemen, in Syria, where the States are not ready to open the capital of their operators, has signed a contract for two and a half years in Ethiopia, described as "the last eldorado of Africa". Stéphane Richard has not finished shake hands across the Mediterranean.