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SFR

Type	Société anonyme
Founded	February 1987
Headquarters	Paris, France
Key people	Frank Esser (PDG)
Industry	Telecommunications
Parent	Vivendi (56%)
Subsidiaries	Neuf Cegetel
Website	www.sfr.fr

SFR (originally Société Française du Radiotéléphone, no longer expanded) is a French mobile phone company. It has 19 million clients, including (as of January 2007) over 3 million using 3G (specifically UMTS) technology.

It also offers services on the island of Réunion through SRR (Société Réunionnaise du Radiotéléphone) although the company is branded as SFR Réunion.

SFR is currently 56% owned by the French group Vivendi and 44% by mobile phone giant Vodafone. Rumours often circulate concerning the possibility of Vodafone increasing its shareholding, but Vodafone's recent sale of minority shares in mature markets such as Belgium and Switzerland, and its recent interest in emerging markets such as Turkey and India, suggest that such an increase is not an immediate prospect.

In 2006, along with Bouygues Télécom and Orange SA, SFR was ordered to pay €535 million in fines for the formation of an illegal cartel (see Le Canard Enchaîné).

In December 2007, SFR which owns 40.5 percent of Neuf Cegetel, has offered to buy the rest of the first fixed alternate operator for €4.5 billion. The goal is to challenge France Telecom in the market for combined fixed-line, internet and cellphone services and create "the biggest, strongest non-incumbent in Europe" according to the group's statement.

[edit] See also

Companies portal

• Communications in France

[edit] External links

• SFR.com - Official Site for international visitors
• SFR.fr - Official Site
• SFR Jeunes Talents - SFR's initiative to help promote and discover new talents on mobile and web