Bouygues Telecom puts freeze on head count

Competition in the French 3G mobile sector has prompted Bouygues Telecom to put a freeze on hiring as part of cost cutting measures.
 
Bouyges Telecom CEO Olivier Roussat told French press that the carrier has been preparing for the onslaught of fiercer competition since the tender offer for France’s fourth 3G mobile licence and has put on a company wide hiring freeze. ISP Illiad has is poised to launch the new mobile carrier under the brand name Free.
 
Bouygues Telecom currently has 8650 employees. "We were also used to recruiting young graduates but that is over," he added.

Russat said that the while the carrier was prepared it is aware that it will feel the pinch harder than the dominant players France Telecoms' Orange and Vivendi's SFR.
 
The carrier was fiercely opposed to the pricing structure that was placed on the new licencee, filing two appeals with the State Council to challenge the award procedure as the carrier judged it to b anti-competitive.
 
Click here to find out more!He added that Bouygues Telecom wants to shake-up the fixed-line market, now that it is able to access 3.3 million potential fiber-optic clients through its deal with French cable operator Numericable.