Orange will invest 15 billion euros between 2015 and 2018 in its networks and will triple its fiber investments in France by 2020, as part of its new strategic plan “Essentiels 2020”. The telecommunications operator (ex-France Telecom) also aims to triple the average data flow of its fixed and mobile subscribers by the end of 2018 and aims to have by that date a growth in turnover and Ebitda exceeding those made in 2014. As for the dividend, Orange aims to maintain a coupon of at least 0,60 euro per share in 2015-2018, without excluding growth based on the evolution of Ebitda.
“With the launch of Essentials 2020, we are writing a new chapter in the history of Orange”, commented Richard, quoted in a note, in which he stresses that “the strategic plan is aimed at the user who wants to live an incomparable experience”.
In France the goal of Orange is to go from 3,6 million homes that can be connected via fiber at the end of 2014 to 12 million in 2018 and 20 million in 2022. In Spain, however, the group will continue the development of the fiber network and its TV offer and aims to double the share of its revenues converging by 2018. The Jazztel acquisition project, currently under examination by the EU Commission, "will make it possible to strengthen and accelerate this strategy, reaching 10 million connectable lodgings by the end of 2016".
In Poland starting from this year, the French TLC has already launched a plan to expand its fiber network to strengthen its position as an incumbent operator, "leader in fixed access and convergence". Finally, in Belgium, a market that is characterized by a very strong incidence of cable, Orange is testing the use of this network and will launch by 2015 a TV offer "a break with the current offers on the market". Throughout Europe, the goal is therefore to have more than 4% 95G coverage in the countries where the group is present, by 2018.
