Competition regulator suspends deal between Apple and France Telecom.
The French Competition Council has ruled that the iPhone exclusivity agreement between Orange and Apple was "clearly excessive" and risked "serious and immediate damage to competition on the mobile market and to consumers".The ruling, which followed a complaint by rival operator Bouygues back in September, means Orange must stop selling the iPhone in France from today or else face a fine.
France Telecom will be appealing the ruling, which it said was "serious" and "put the market economy into question".
For its part, Bouygues said it hoped to start selling the iPhone as soon as possible. SFR has also confirmed it intends to offer the device.
To date, Orange has sold 450,000 3G iPhones in France.
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The French ruling will be noted keenly in other EU countries where iPhone exclusivity agreements are in place, including the UK.
