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Cisco Systems is boosting its small cell and femtocell activity by acquiring UK-based Ubiquisys for $310 million (£205 million). The deal is scheduled to close by the end of 2013 and involves a combination of cash and employee retention incentives.

Vivendi is considering splitting off its French mobile network subsidiary, SFR, into a separate company, according to a Bloomberg report. The SFR discussions follow failed attempts to get acceptable bids for Vivendi's other properties, Activision Blizzard and Brazilian broadband company GVT.

The cost of building Free Mobile's mobile network ate into Iliad's net profit in 2012, although the French fixed and mobile operator said it was still in the black and achieved an almost 50 percent increase in sales to €3.15 billion last year, with over €840 million generated by the new mobile unit.

Shares in Bouygues Telecom jumped 3.5 per cent after news broke that the French telecom regulator Arcep gave it the go-ahead to refarm existing 1800 MHz for LTE services starting this October.

French mobile operators will be able to ink network sharing deals after the country's antitrust authority gave its approval on a limited basis. The antitrust authority said it would closely monitor the market to ensure that competition is maintained.

France Telecom will announce a price increase by April for its LTE service following the launch of the high speed technology in 15 French cities.