The owner of the Orange mobile brand, France Telecom SA (FTE) has announced they plan to sell mobile phones with unlimited access to Facebook in Eastern Europe and Africa. This move is the latest attempts by numerous telecom companies operating in Africa to take the helm of the fast growing internet services market.
FTE plans on selling three devices built by Alcatel Lucent SA in markets across Africa as part of the free Facebook services package, including instant messaging, says Patrick Remy the vice president of devices.
France Telecom is seeking to expand in Africa through the acquisition of other networks and additional data offerings to counter the sluggish European market where the company has begun selling assets.
The revenues generated in France fell 4.7 percent in the third quarter, while FTE sales in Spain climbed 4.8 percent. Africa and the Middle East has seen revenues rise by 6.1 percent in countries such as Kenya and Cameroon.
Luiz Sanchez
