French Regulator Cuts SMS Text-Messaging Charge

PARIS -(Dow Jones)- French electronic communications regulator ARCEP said Thursday it has decided to lower the wholesale charge for SMS text messaging interconnection through France's three mobile telecom operators to EUR0.043 per SMS from EUR0.05336, retroactive to July 1, 2005.

The ruling follows a complaint by one of the operators, Bouygues Telecom, that the two other operators, SFR and Orange, had an unfair advantage, because Bouygues has higher per-customer charges due to its smaller customer base.

Bouygues wanted ARCEP to cut the bulk terminal charge to EUR0.025 per SMS.

In a separate statement, Bouygues decried ARCEP's decision, saying it penalizes the development of SMS traffic. By setting the charge at EUR0.043, it said, the regulator had bowed to requests of SFR and Orange for a 20% price cut.

SFR is controlled by Vivendi Universal and Orange by France Telecom.

-By David Pearson, Dow Jones Newswires; +33140171740, david.pearson@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires "

Posted to the site on 17th November 2005