Bouygues Telecom
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Founded | 1994-12-04 |
| Headquarters | Issy-les-Moulineaux , France |
Area served | France |
| Products | Mobile phone services, Internet service provider, IPTV services |
| Parent | Bouygues group |
Bouygues Telecom S.A. () is a French company specializing in mobile phone, Internet service provider, and IPTV services, operating under the umbrella of the Bouygues group. Ranking as France's third oldest mobile network provider after Orange and SFR, but preceding Free Mobile, it offers a range of technologies including 2G GSM, 3G UMTS, 4G LTE, and 5G NR. The company’s headquarters, which were designed by Arquitectonica and inaugurated in 2011, are situated near the River Seine on the boundary between Paris and Issy-les-Moulineaux.
History
The French government granted Bouygues Telecom permission on 4 December 1994 to establish the nation’s third GSM mobile network, with commercial operations commencing on 30 May 1996. To compensate for initially less extensive coverage compared to Orange and SFR, Bouygues Telecom implemented several pioneering initiatives such as:
- heavy reliance on the 1800 MHz frequency band to optimize urban network performance;
- introduction of bundled service packages in May 1996;
- launch of France’s inaugural SMS service in 1996, initially exclusive to its customers and provided free until 1997;
- inclusion of complimentary call recording starting January 1997;
- prompt rollout of caller ID functionality by late 1997;
- release of the "Millenium" plan in November 1999 offering unlimited weekend calling;
- debut of the "Spot" plan in March 2000, which granted free talk time in exchange for advertising exposure; and
- introduction in 2006 of France’s first unlimited evening calling plan applicable to all operators.
By 2001, Bouygues Telecom had secured roughly a 17% share of the market. That same year, it engaged in discussions with NTT DoCoMo regarding a possible collaboration to provide the Japanese company's i-mode mobile internet service in France, though this partnership did not come to fruition.
In March 2005, Bouygues Telecom participated alongside Orange and TPS in France’s initial trials of DVB-H, subsequently launching Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) on its network in May that year.
On 25 May 2009, Bouygues Telecom unveiled "ideo," the country’s first converged quadruple play offering that combined Internet access with television services through a unified modem and set-top box called Bbox. This innovation was quickly emulated by competitors such as Orange, SFR, and Free Mobile. By October 2010, the Bbox range expanded to include fibre-optic Internet via a partnership with Numericable.
The company introduced its budget-friendly subsidiary B&YOU on 18 July 2011, featuring contract-free postpaid plans available exclusively online.
In January 2016, acquisition negotiations took place between Bouygues Telecom and Orange S.A., though these discussions did not advance further.
In June 2020, Bouygues Telecom completed the purchase of Euro-Information Telecom, an MVNE servicing brands like NRJ Mobile, Auchan Telecom, Cdiscount Mobile, CIC Mobile, and Crédit Mutuel Mobile. This division was rebranded as Bouygues Telecom Business – Distribution at the start of 2021.
Antitrust litigation
In 2005, alongside Orange and SFR, Bouygues Telecom was penalized €535 million by the Autorité de la concurrence due to exchanging confidential information between 1997 and 2003—a practice deemed detrimental to consumers and market competition. Bouygues Telecom challenged this verdict in court beginning November 2007.
Judicial directive to remove equipment
In February 2009, Bouygues Telecom received a court mandate to take down a mobile phone tower located in Charbonnières (Rhône) due to health worries expressed by local inhabitants concerning radiation emitted by the 19-meter high antenna. The Versailles Court of Appeal shifted the typical responsibility of proof, emphasizing the persistent scientific ambiguity and the varying international standards related to exposure from antenna emissions.
Cycling team sponsorship
Between 2005 and 2010, Bouygues Telecom was the sponsor of the cycling team known as Bbox Bouygues Telecom.