This is a small earthquake in the world of mobile operators. The public group La Poste is seeking to resell its shares in the operator bearing its name: The Mobile Post.
The fifth French telecom operator could soon change hands. According to information obtained by the media Les Échos, La Poste is considering reselling all or part of its shares in La Poste Mobile. The virtual operator (MVNO), which rents the SFR network and benefits from the brand image (and distribution) of the publicly owned company, is already sharpening the interests of several groups.
A local and profitable operator
The public group, which has now convinced nearly 2.3 million customers with its low-cost offers, owns 51% of the MVNO shares and would now like to part with this mobile asset in order to bring in some cash. in the crates. After 11 years of existence, the operator finally became profitable in 2022 with a profit of 2.38 million euros.
This change should be made without completely breaking the habits of those who have subscribed to a La Poste Mobile contract since Les Échos confirms that the operator “will keep its identity and continue to be distributed in some 7,000 post offices“. In short, it is above all an accounting operation which will not have immediate consequences for customers.
An accounting operation certainly, but of a rare magnitude. Due to its very enviable position on the virtual operator market, La Poste Mobile would represent a great asset for the giants of the sector such as Orange, Free, SFR and Bouygues. And if the first two seem uninterested, preferring to invest in infrastructure and internationally, the other two are eyeing the company closely, Les Échos tells us.
An attractive asset for historical operators
SFR has priority over this operation, since the group owns the other 49 percent of La Poste Mobile. By passing the 2 million and some subscribers under its fold, the group, currently in difficulty, could show good growth figures at a time when it desperately needs it. Bouygues, for its part, has a devouring appetite for virtual operators and has already bought a bunch of brands in 2021 to double Free and become the 3rd largest French operator.
La Poste Mobile is one of the last large French MVNOs after a wave of consolidation in recent years. With the launch of low-cost offers, “historical” operators have gradually reduced the interest of virtual operators, who do not always have a superb brand image. La Poste Mobile, thanks to its unbeatable network in the territory and its very affordable prices, has still managed to survive, even considering, for a time, a bright future on the telecoms market. Times seem to have changed.
Source : The echoes
7