France Télécom, which has traded as ‘Orange’ within France and abroad for several years, is formally changing the company name to Orange on 1st July 2013. The decision was taken at the shareholders’ AGM today.
Originally a French government department, France Telecom became a separate business in 1990 and was later privatised. It bought Orange plc in 2000.
France Telecom-Orange currently has 170,000 employees worldwide, including 104,000 in France. It’s responsible for 172 million mobile customers and 15 million broadband internet customers worldwide.
In a statement, the company said “Changing the name of the company and its shares is a natural step in the process towards the simplification and unity of the Group’s activities. Under the Orange name, the Group will build on its heritage and continue to ensure stronger social cohesion, improved technical performance and faster growth in France and around the world.”