France’s third-placed mobile operator, Bouygues Telecom, has confirmed reports in the French media that it has entered into an agreement with KPN that will see the Dutch operator launch in France as an MVNO. According to Dow Jones, a spokeswoman for Bouygues Telecom confirmed an earlier report in Les Echos, the French business daily, that an agreement had been reached but declined to give further details. The earlier report suggested that KPN is seeking to launch in France as ‘Simyo’ – KPN’s ‘no-frills’ discount MVNO brand that it has already launched in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.

The introduction of another player into the French mobile market will be welcomed by local regulators. Dow Jones reports that, in July, France’s antitrust body, the Conseil de la Concurrence, criticised the level of competition in the French mobile market and called for better conditions for MVNOs. Competition in the market has also been affected by the country’s failure to find a suitable candidate for its fourth 3G license.