Orange Group CEO Christel Heydemann (pictured) pointed to the company’s role in delivering connectivity during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as a high point in Q3 2024, as it delivered a small rise in revenue driven by its Africa and Middle East division.

In an earnings announcement, Heydemann said it was “a source of enormous pride” to have connected the event, which had more than 3 billion spectators around the world.

There was however no indication that the Olympics deal had much impact on the company’s top-line, with revenue growing a modest 1.6 per cent year-on-year to just shy of €10 billion, mainly due to growth in retail services but offset by a decline in wholesale. The company does not break out quarterly net income.

Revenue in home market France rose 1.3 per cent, also down to retail, while its overall Europe business dropped 2.1 per cent on the back of a poor wholesale performance. Orange Business revenue also fell 2.6 per cent, due to a decline in fixed.

Africa and the Middle East was however the quarter’s stand-out, with revenue rising 10.5 per cent on the back of a “robust performance in voice”, as well as increases across mobile data, fixed-broadband, Orange Money and B2B.

Heydemann said Orange’s activities in the region “are a genuine lever for economic development to Africa, progress from which we also benefit”.

Orange ended the quarter with 9.1 million convergent customers which was broadly flat and an 8.5 per cent increase in mobile accesses to 253 million.

“The strong third-quarter results demonstrate the soundness of our strategy, the great competence of our teams and the role we can play as our customers’ trusted operator,” added Heydemann.