French Regulator Orders Orange to Suspend Fiber Network Rollout in Mayotte

08:27 AM EDT, 10/21/2026 (MT Newswires) -- France's Autorité de la concurrence told Orange (ORA.PA) to pause the rollout of its fiber network in Mayotte, a French overseas department, according to a Wednesday release. The interim measure is based on complaints filed by telecommunications company Réunicable and its subsidiary Mayotte THD over Orange's unilateral distribution of a fiber-to-the-home, or FttH, network in five Mayotte municipalities from March 2025. The companies claimed that the move conflicts with the public service delegation awarded by the département-region to Mayotte THD in January 2025 for the local rollout of FttH services. The competition watchdog views Orange's behavior as a likely abuse of a dominant position that can cause "serious and immediate harm" to the sector and local consumers. It ordered Orange to provide it with an overview of its fiber rollout in Mayotte to date, alongside the condition of its copper network and infrastructure, as well as to guarantee the concession holder access.