Orange is strengthening its fiber broadband strategy through continued FTTH expansion, wholesale fiber monetization, strategic acquisitions and disciplined infrastructure investment, positioning high-speed connectivity as a major driver of revenue growth across Europe, France and Africa.
The telecom operator ended the first half of 2026 with 24.0 million very high-speed broadband retail accesses, representing 7.1 percent annual growth, while total fixed broadband accesses reached 30.5 million and overall fixed accesses stood at 45.2 million. Fiber expansion supported Group revenue growth of 3.5 percent to €20.95 billion, alongside EBITDAaL growth of 5.0 percent to €6.13 billion.
Europe remains central to Orange’s fiber strategy. The Europe 6 division surpassed the milestone of 3 million fiber customers after adding 54,000 new fiber subscribers during the second quarter. Revenue in Europe 6 increased 4.1 percent to €3.61 billion, while wholesale revenue rose 3.7 percent, supported by FTTH network monetization initiatives in Poland. EBITDAaL climbed 6.1 percent to €1.05 billion, with eCAPEX declining 2.6 percent to €507 million, demonstrating that Orange is expanding fiber networks while improving capital efficiency.
France also delivered strong fiber momentum. Orange recorded a record 62,000 fixed broadband net additions, its highest quarterly performance since 2021, while maintaining a fiber conquest share of more than 40 percent, the strongest in the market. Revenue in France increased 1.2 percent to €8.67 billion, supported by wholesale fiber activity, including approximately €100 million in revenue and €75 million in EBITDAaL from exceptional wholesale items and fiber network co-financing. Fixed-only ARPO increased by €0.6 to €38.7, while convergent ARPO rose to €78.1, reflecting the growing value of fiber-based bundled services.
Orange is also expanding broadband infrastructure in emerging markets. In Africa and the Middle East, fixed broadband revenue increased 13.0 percent, while the fiber and broadband customer base grew 17.2 percent to 5.1 million subscribers. Regional revenue increased 13.9 percent to €4.58 billion, supported by broadband, mobile data and digital financial services, while eCAPEX increased 18.7 percent to €890 million to accelerate network expansion.
Strategic acquisitions further reinforce Orange’s long-term fiber roadmap. The company completed the €1.3 billion acquisition of Scorefit, which owns wholesale fiber access in France, simplifying Orange’s financial structure and supporting its transition from copper to fiber. In Spain, the acquisition of 100 percent of MasOrange for €4.25 billion, valuing the operator at €8.5 billion, strengthens Orange’s fiber leadership in one of Europe’s largest broadband markets. The proposed acquisition of SFR assets would add approximately 1 million fixed broadband customers, further expanding Orange’s fiber footprint in France.
Orange continues to back its fiber strategy with disciplined investment. Group eCAPEX reached €3.18 billion, representing 15.2 percent of revenue, while total organic cash flow increased to €2.17 billion. The company also announced a €3 billion investment program through a joint venture with Morrison to develop a 400 MW data center platform, creating additional demand for high-capacity fiber infrastructure that will support AI, cloud computing and enterprise digital services across its network.
BABURAJAN KIZHAKEDATH
