18 June 2007

Mobile operator Orange France says it has sold more than a quarter of amillion dual-mode Unik GSM/Wi-Fi mobile phones since launching themcommercially in November 2006. The dual-mode handsets are seen as a keyproduct in the operators plan to become an integrated fixed and mobileoperator. This is part of our strategy to retain customers, saidOrange Mobile CEO Jean-Noel Tronc at a press briefing Friday. Theoperator is currently selling around 2,000 Unik phones a day, comparedwith 200 at launch, and has seen a strong uptake since March 2007. Thecellco is working hard to win new subscribers and retain existing onesin the face of stiff competition from the likes of software-basedtelephony providers such as Skype. The Orange Unik phone switchesseamlessly to a Wi-Fi network when in range of a wireless LAN hotspot,allowing the user to benefit from unlimited calls to a landline for anadditional EUR10 per month or EUR12 a month if calls to Orangemobiles are also included.