French telecoms operator to pay Digicel millions for anti-competitive practices

French telecoms operator, Orange, has been ordered by a Paris court to pay rival Digicel nearly 250 million euros in compensation for anti-competitive practices in the French Caribbean.

Reuters reported that the Paris Appeals court last week ruled that Orange must pay Digicel 181.5 milion euros in damages and 68 million euros in interest.

It is the biggest single financial penalty to be paid by the Paris-based group.

The company is considering whether to launch an appeal in France's highest court.

After a first ruling in 2017, Orange set aside 346 million euros in an escrow account to cover the cost of  compensation.

The case dates back to the early 2000s, when state-controlled Orange dominated the telecoms markets in Martinique, Guadeloupe and French Guiana.

France's competition watchdog found in 2009 that Orange had hindered the rise of  rivals in these markets, notably by signing exclusivity agreements with independent distributors and repair shops, prompting Digicel to sue for damages.