Orange, official partner of the Tour de France 2009

For the Tour de France 2009, Orange will deploy fibre-optic cable along the entire race route along with a high-end WiFi network, creating the best possible mobile communication system for the press and all other professionals working on the Tour.
Orange will also give its customers the full Tour experience through exclusive high-quality content across its TV, PC and mobile platforms.

Innovation: a central feature of the Tour de France 2009

For more than 10 years, Orange has provided extensive technological resources for communication and the broadcasting of images from the Tour de France.

In 2009, Orange :

Deploy fibre-optic cable along the entire race route, providing bandwidth of 155 Mbit/s in both finish zones. In 2008, interwoven broadband networks, ADSL and SDSL lines available in the press room and the technical zone were partly based on 155 Mbit technology. In 2009, Orange will roll 155 Mbit technology out across the whole route and its international points of presence (PoPs).
Quadruple its bandwidth between the interview truck and the press room, further enhancing its video technology and offering a HD-quality videoconferencing system.
Provide five WiFi networks suited to the needs of various users (organisers, press, photographers, broadcasters). A radio terminal/server combination will be capable of routing more than 500 simultaneous connections, while regulating peak traffic levels. This system offers enhanced response and reception times, along with increased security.
Install, every day, the infrastructure needed to provide the required network coverage in the Tour’s strategic zones. Around the press room, mobile relays will handle 3G and 3G+ traffic.
Carry out multimedia Codec tests (Numeris, IP and 3G) to facilitate transmissions by radio stations.
GlobeCast is a France Télécom group subsidiary specialising in managing and carrying audiovisual content. It will deliver live images of the Tour de France on behalf of France Télévisions and Union Européenne de Radiodiffusion. At the finish line of each stage, GlobeCast will deploy six mobile satellite and terrestrial transmission stations, along with a co-ordinating reception truck. The system is capable of broadcasting up to 25 SD/HD video signals simultaneously and will provide exceptional race coverage.

Experience the Tour de France with Orange

Once again, Orange customers will be able to follow this year’s Tour de France in three ways, via their TVs, PCs and mobile phones.

TV
Throughout the Tour de France 2009, Orange Sport Info (channel 19) will be on the spot, providing daily newsflashes including:

Every morning, from 7am, a special feature about the day’s stage: the day’s route, the main challenges and the riders to watch.
Every evening, after the stage has ended, a special feature summarising the day’s main events: stage summary, highlights, rankings and finish-line reactions from the day’s main riders.
In addition, there will be regular features from our two special Tour correspondents: rider profiles, an insider’s look at the race, and interviews with riders and those following the race (former riders, team managers, team staff etc.).

In addition, four special 52-minute documentaries about Tour legends will be available on demand 24 hours a day, for €1.99, on Orange’s TV and PC platforms.

PC
As well as Orange Sport Info and the Tour legends documentaries, Tour fans will find the following content on the orange.fr portal:

near-live race highlights, along with video summaries of each stage
a daily stage review by an expert commentator, along with graphics
compilation packages, featuring race highlights and archive images

Mobile platform
As well as Orange Sport Info, users of the Orange World portal will be have exclusive, near-live access to video highlights and stage reviews.

The Tour de France 2009, which starts in Monaco on Saturday 4 July 2009, is a new challenge for France Télécom, and one it will meet in style.

About Orange

Orange is the key brand of France Telecom, one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators. With 123 million customers, the Orange brand now covers Internet, television and mobile services in the majority of countries where the Group operates. At the end of 2008, France Telecom had consolidated sales of 53.5 billion euros (12.7 billion euros for the first quarter of 2009) and at 31 March 2009, the Group had a customer base of almost 184 million customers in 30 countries. These include 123 million mobile customers worldwide and 13 million broadband Internet (ADSL) customers in Europe. Orange is the number three mobile operator and the number one provider of broadband Internet services in Europe and, under the brand Orange Business Services, is one of the world leaders in providing telecommunication services to multinational companies.

The Group’s strategy, which is characterized by a strong focus on innovation, convergence and effective cost management, aims to establish Orange as an integrated operator and benchmark for new telecommunications services in Europe. Today the Group remains focused on its core activities as a network operator, while working to develop its position in new growth activities. To meet customer expectations, the Group strives to provide products and services that are simple and user-friendly, while maintaining a sustainable and responsible business model that can be adapted to the requirements of a fast-paced and changing eco-system.

France Telecom (NYSE:FTE) is listed on Euronext Paris (compartment A) and on the New York Stock Exchange.

For more information: www.orange.com, www.francetelecom.com, www.orange-business.com
Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trade marks of Orange Personal Communications Services Limited, Orange France or France Telecom.

Press contact
Jean-Bernard Orsoni

+33144449393