Orange Launches Data Roaming Safeguard and expands Travel Data Daily Range for High Usage Customers

BARCELONA, February 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --

- New 'opt-out' Approach Launched for All New Smartphone Consumer Customers at Point of Sale to Keep Costs Down. Ensures That all Customers Benefit From a EUR2 for 2MB Roaming Bundle as a Maximum Price - Across Orange's European Operations[1] by Summer 2011

- Orange to Offer a New Daily Data Roaming Bundle Across the European Union (EU) for Heavier Data Users - EUR15 for 50 MB, Bringing Down the Cost of Roaming Further

Orange today announced a new 'opt-out' approach for all new smartphone consumer customers. This 'opt-out' is a safetyguard for all new smartphone consumer adopters and will be available across the Orange European footprint - by summer 2011. New customers will be given default data roaming packages at the point of purchase - ensuring that customers will never pay more than EUR2 for 2MB in Europe. This is already in place in Spain and Switzerland.

In addition, the successful Travel Data Daily bundles from its Orange Travel portfolio of roaming services will be extended with a new bundle for consumer customers with greater data demand - EUR15 for 50 MB per day - available across the majority of Orange's European markets[2], by summer 2011, for smartphone, tablet and laptop users.

The 'opt-out' and new offer builds on the successful roll-out of its EUR2 for 2MB Travel Daily Data bundle, launched at last year's Mobile World Congress, now available in 11 countries[3] and with a following of over one million customers in its first year. Orange also confirms the availability of another Travel Data Daily bundle - EUR5 for 10MB in five countries[4], originally launched in 2010 specifically for iPhone and tablet consumer customers in France. The inclusion of three daily data roaming bundles to the Orange Travel portfolio, allows Orange customers to roam across the European Union using smartphones, tablets and laptops more freely than ever before.

Anne Bouverot, Vice President for Orange's global mobile business, commented: "delivering affordable data roaming services so that all can enjoy the benefits, is a key focus for Orange. The extension of existing daily data bundles to more countries and the launch of a new competitive offer for those with greater data demand is indicative of our commitment to follow this through. We are delighted that the Travel Data Daily offer of EUR2 for 2MB has been taken up by over a million customers in its first year of launch - it indicates that our competitive and easy to understand offers are resonating with customers.

"We also believe that our new 'opt-out' approach that we are offering all new smartphone consumer customers is the best way to ensure that all will benefit from the best bundles on offer. In the context of the explosion in smartphones that we have experienced in our consumer customer base, the 'opt-out' approach has demonstrated an improved customer experience and greater data roaming take-up. In our efforts to deliver absolute transparency, it is critical to us that our customers' experience is a positive one, right from the start."

The Travel Data Daily roaming bundles are part of the Orange Travel portfolio of roaming services, providing a broad range of attractive roaming offers to respond to the varying needs of customers from consumer customers to big business. Orange's segmented approach ensures that customers get the best solution for their needs. Orange has nearly 25 million Orange Travel customers at the end of 2010. For more information on Orange Travel offers, go to http://www.orange.com/travel.

    About Orange:

    http://www.orange.com
    http://www.francetelecom.com
    http://www.orange-business.com

    [1] Excludes UK
    [2] The EUR15 for 50 MB offer is currently available in France and
        Switzerland
    [3] The EUR2 for 2 MB offer is now available in France, Spain, Poland,
        Belgium, Switzerland, Romania, Slovakia, Luxembourg, Moldova, Austria
       (offer is 1EUR /MB) and Egypt. Excludes UK
    [4] The EUR5 for 10 MB offer is available in France, Switzerland,
        Romania, Luxembourg (8MB), Moldova (8MB). And Belgium (Mobistar) by
        end of Q1 2011

SOURCE Orange