Orange Renews its Commitment to Deliver a Simple, Transparent and Cost-effective Roaming Experience with the Launch of Several new Initiatives

BARCELONA, Spain, February 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

• A new roaming offer combining voice, data and SMS in one simple and affordable bundle to use across the European Union (EU) for occasional roamers
• A new Orange Travel App to help customers track their data usage when travelling abroad anywhere in the world
• The launch of a 'rest of world' alert and cap to protect customers from receiving unexpected bills when travelling outside of the European Union.

Orange today announced a series of new roaming initiatives aimed at delivering a simpler, more transparent and cost-effective roaming experience for customers. The initiatives include a new 'combined' voice, SMS and mobile data roaming offer, a new roaming app and a roaming cap and text alert when roaming outside the EU. These initiatives are underpinned by a new Orange Travel 'Customer Experience Charter', laying down its commitment to customers to deliver transparency, responsive customer support and reliable networks when roaming. The initiatives will cover Orange's key European markets and will be implemented throughout 2012.

Orange's latest 'combined' roaming bundle sees a new type of offer in the market, incorporating voice, SMS and data into one affordable and easy to understand tariff.  The offers will be available on a daily, weekly or even 30-day basis, tailored to each market. The offers, available in Spain, Belgium and Romania will be extended to other markets in 2012 including France, the UK and Poland. For example, in France customers will be able to purchase a bundle that includes 10 minutes of voice, 10 SMS's and 10 MB for approximately €4 to €5 (daily, EU bundle) from June onwards.

The launch of a new roaming app, the Orange Travel App, will help customers track their data usage when travelling abroad more easily than ever before. Downloadable from the Orange App shop or Android Market, customers will be able to easily monitor, in real-time, their data and SMS roaming traffic. Customers will be able to check how many megabytes and SMS's they have sent and received in total, per country and per trip.  Customers can then compare this, seamlessly, within the app, to their local tariff plans to ensure that they are within their limits. The app, already well-received in France with over 15,000 downloads since June, will be extended to a further six of Orange's European markets in 2012, including the UK, Spain, Poland, Belgium, Romania and Slovakia.

Orange is also introducing a 'rest of world' alert and cap for data usage to protect customers from receiving unexpected bills when travelling outside of the EU. The level of the alert and cap will be set for each market. As an example, in France the alert will be set at €100 and cut off at €130. As customers approach their limit, they will be sent an alert by SMS. Customers can then choose via SMS to purchase an additional bundle or be cut off when they hit their limit. The 'rest of world' alert and cap will be available across eight of Orange's European markets eventually. It is available in Poland, Belgium and France today, and will be introduced in the UK, Spain, Romania and Slovakia in 2012.    

Vincent Brunet, Executive Vice President Marketing, Orange Mobile Consumer Services, commented: "The launch of today's initiatives are testimony to our continued commitment to deliver a great roaming experience that is open to all. With more and more customers choosing smartphones and tablets, we are cognisant of both the opportunities and risks that such devices deliver in a roaming context. By putting in further safety nets, we are helping customers to manage their consumption while we continue  to introduce competitive offers that respond to our customers' growing needs. We are confident that customers can roam freely without concern to reap all the benefits that the smartphone and tablet revolution provides."

The Orange Travel 'Customer Experience Charter' will serve as a set of guiding principles that each of Orange's European markets will use in the execution of their roaming services, whether that be the delivery of a new roaming tariff or a communication campaign. The principles extend to ensuring transparency at all times, as well as delivering responsive customer support and guaranteeing reliable networks when roaming.

The new initiatives are part of the Orange Travel portfolio of roaming services, providing a broad range of attractive roaming offers to respond to the varying needs of customers from consumer customers to big business. Orange's segmented approach ensures that customers get the best solution for their needs. Orange has over 25 million Orange Travel customers at the end of 2011, adding over one million new customers in 2011. For more information on Orange Travel offers, go to http://www.orange.com/travel.

For more information:http://www.orange.com,http://www.francetelecom.com,http://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.