In France you have 3 main players (and some little ones using their networks, but that doesn't really count). They were already condemned for some "secret" agreements on prices (http://www.cellular-news.com/story/15060.php).
A fourth operator is in process of entering the market, but it has had a lot of difficulties already. The 3 main actors really did all they could to slow the process down and even try to have the government refuse the license to the new one.
Their main reason? The new "challenger" is Free.fr. These are the same ones who pulled the internet market in France.
The ones who came and proposed a free dialup access (minus communication costs), when all other actors were still on "3 hours + comm costs" kind of deals.
The ones who pushed the ADSL market to lower prices for more service, and introduced the concept of "triple play" (you get a special router from the ISP, and you get free TV and phone calls added to the regular internet) ( http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freebox , the English page is lacking, though ).
They forced the other actors (roughly the same ones as the mobile telecom) to come up with the same offers for about the same prices.
So that's why they did everything they could to prevent Free from entering the mobile market. By fear of the same kind of thing happening.
Free.fr managed to get their license though, and are in the process of establishing their antenna network. So we will see what will be, when they will really start, and announce their mobile deals.
A fourth operator is in process of entering the market, but it has had a lot of difficulties already. The 3 main actors really did all they could to slow the process down and even try to have the government refuse the license to the new one.
Their main reason? The new "challenger" is Free.fr. These are the same ones who pulled the internet market in France. The ones who came and proposed a free dialup access (minus communication costs), when all other actors were still on "3 hours + comm costs" kind of deals. The ones who pushed the ADSL market to lower prices for more service, and introduced the concept of "triple play" (you get a special router from the ISP, and you get free TV and phone calls added to the regular internet) ( http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freebox , the English page is lacking, though ). They forced the other actors (roughly the same ones as the mobile telecom) to come up with the same offers for about the same prices.
So that's why they did everything they could to prevent Free from entering the mobile market. By fear of the same kind of thing happening.
Free.fr managed to get their license though, and are in the process of establishing their antenna network. So we will see what will be, when they will really start, and announce their mobile deals.