Behind the planned dismantling of SFR, what is taking shape is less a bailout than a complete overhaul of the French telecom model, marking the end of price competition in favor of a consolidation long hoped for by operators. The rhetoric about digital sovereignty barely masks the ambition to restore margins, even if it means sacrificing the consumer benefits of the past fifteen years. The planned disappearance of the fourth operator marks not only the end of a single player, but also the end of the competitive cycle ushered in by Free. After fifteen years of cutthroat price competition, Orange, Bouygues, and Iliad now have a clear ambition. The three operators want to restore margins and…
