Iliad’s Free Mobile – the low-cost French operator launched at the beginning of the year – revealed that it had signed up 2.6 million subscribers by the end of Q1, claiming to have captured nearly four per cent of the French mobile market in just 80 days.

The firm highlighted figures to show that the total French market had grown by 854,000 subscribers in Q1, suggesting that Free Mobile’s 2.6 million customers included a substantial number of defections from rivals. Market-leader Orange France lost 615,000 mobile customers following Free Mobile’s launch on January 10.

The firm also did well in its traditional fixed broadband business, surpassing five million subscribers for the first time. It added 191,000 new subscribers in the period, which it said accounted for “well over” half of all the country’s broadband net additions.

Iliad’s total Q1 revenue rose 29 per cent to €655.7 million (US$839 million). This included €97.5 million of revenue from the new mobile business.

As the Saudi government prepares to permit MVNO services in the country, local mobile network operator, Mobily has awarded an MVNE management contract to India’s Xius.

Xius will be employing its Mobile Services Platform infrastructure and framework, currently deployed in multiple global locations, which will provide the MVNO with its own separate network components and capabilities.

"We have chosen Xius Mobile Services Platform after an exhaustive selection process that included an extensive list of vendors," said Eyas Al-Hajery, Mobily’s senior executive VP for Wholesale and Carrier Services. "The platform will enable Mobily to provide carrier class comprehensive MNO/MVNE services to potential MVNOs".

ZTE South Africa CEO Cris Fuentes says the Chinese group is terminating its relationship with local firm ZTE Mzansi, in which it owns 40 per cent. Fuentes is reported to have said ZTE had tried several times to reach an amicable settlement with ZTE Mzanzi, but has been unsuccessful. ZTE Mzanzi successfully asked a court to stop Telkom from rolling out a ZAR 13 billion (US$1.59 billion) network upgrade that had been awarded to Huawei and Alcatel Lucent.

Telkom recently announced it was looking to replace out-dated DSLAM boxes with newer technology as part of its plan to move to an all-IP network designed to enable fixed-mobile convergence and truly differentiated high-speed broadband.

ZTE Mzansi believed Telkom’s bidding process was not fair and that its tender was never properly considered, despite complying with all of Telkom’s requirements, including those on empowerment and technical capability.

ZTE said the legal proceedings were instituted without its approval and without the backing of its representative on the board of ZTE Mzanzi. Fuentes said the lack of authorisation from ZTE to proceed with the Telkom litigation has been one of the elements that motivated its decision to sever ties. He said the main reason is a lack of consultation with ZTE in Hong Kong in key decisions.

UAE telco Du is reported to be considering bidding for a mobile virtual network operator licence in Saudi Arabia. It was also claimed that Du’s CEO, Osman Sultan confirmed that the company is looking for overseas opportunities.

Du is said to be looking for similar virtual network opportunities in other countries, but no decision has been taken yet.

The telco subsequently put out a statement saying, ‘Evaluating growth opportunities to maintain competitive advantage, increase shareholder value and ensure sustainable growth has and will continue to be the primary focus for Du.

With that in mind, and in the normal course of business, we always keep an eye on any opportunities that might be in the best interests of the company and its shareholders.

Our strategy is, and as always has been, to focus on the UAE. If and when we have anything new to announce, we will communicate details to the market.”

Several former executives at South Africa’s Vodacom have been poached by rival network, Cell C, the company has confirmed.

Former Vodacom CEO, Alan Knott-Craig moved to Cell C at the start of April when his non-compete clause expired, and had been rumoured to be trying to lure across several of his former colleagues to the company.

A Cell C spokesperson is reported to have confirmed to media sources in South Africa that the former COO at Vodacom’s Nigeria subsidiary will take up a similar role at Cell C, while a former Vodacom Mozambique manager will be the new CTO.

The third appointment is former Vodacom Mozambique CEO Jose dos Santos who will be joining the company at an unspecified position in the near future.