“Are you asking me to raise my prices? »

Free’s founder Xavier Niel got carried away during his hearing before the Senate’s Economic Committee, highlighting the tensions between telecom operators in France and the difficulty of striking a balance between competitive prices for consumers and operator profitability .

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Free does not move its prices, despite inflation

Xavier Niel, founder of Ilias, made a remarkable exit during his hearing before the Senate Economics Committee. He accused Arcep, the telecom police officer, of having made a “financial transfer” to Orange by considering a measure that would allow the incumbent operator to increase prices for unbundling, the rent that Orange’s competitors have to pay for access to its copper network. , increase.

This measure would be seen as a gift from Arcep to Orange to support it in the transition from the end of the copper network. Xavier Niel denounces an Arcep that goes down for Orange » and denounced Christel Heydemann, the director general of Orange, for referring to his « contact Arcep “.

The supervisor has project to change the regulation of fixed broadband and very high-speed markets for the 2024-2028 cycle at the end of February, considering a measure that would allow Orange to increase unbundling prices, subject to compliance with a ” obligation of non-excess “. The measure must be introduced to accompany the extinction of Orange’s copper network. As a reminder, the ADSL network must disappear by 2030. Xavier Niel thinks that deadline is far too far away.

Free does not move its prices, despite inflation

In addition to attacking Arcep and Orange, he also got carried away when a senator questioned him about the sustainability of his operator Free’s rates. Senator Patrick Chaize questioned Xavier Niel about Free’s promise not to raise its prices, despite general inflation across all operators, and about the reality of this promise. Xavier Niel vehemently replied that Free’s extremely low prices were part of its strengths and what it brought the French.

I’m just doing my job https://t.co/Tw0Jqa3ktf

— Xavier Niel (@Xavier75) March 23, 2023

This press release from Xavier Niel highlights the tensions between telecom operators in France and the difficulty of balancing competitive pricing for consumers with operator profitability. Free’s founder also recalled the importance of competition in the telecom market in France and the need to maintain it to ensure affordable prices for consumers.

The anger of Xavier Niel, the founder of Free, can also be interpreted as a free communication strategy for the brand. Indeed, by opposing other operators and defending an aggressive pricing policy, Xavier Niel emphasizes Free’s main advantage: attractive and competitive prices for consumers. His diatribe before the Senate Economics Committee also helps highlight the operator’s offerings, remind the public and draw media attention to Free. This aggressive communication strategy has been used by Xavier Niel in the past and has proven its effectiveness in increasing operator awareness.