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AIR FRANCE CHOOSES FRANCE TELECOM GROUP TO DEPLOY ORANGE WIFI HOTSPOTS
AIR FRANCE DECIDES TO OFFER WIFI TO ITS BUSINESS CUSTOMERS IN ALL ITS AIRPORT LOUNGES
Paris, Roissy, May 21, 2003--Air France and Orange France have announced a partnership that will make Orange WiFi service available in all 54 airport lounges operated by Air France around the world. The lounges will all be equipped to become Orange hotspots.
The network will be fully deployed within 18 months, enabling Air France's business customers to enjoy the advantages of broadband Internet and the comfort of wireless Internet access at airports.
Within the scope of this agreement the France Telecom group will provide Air France's business customers with a secure, powerful and easy to use WiFi solution. This accord consolidates Orange's position as the benchmark in WiFi in France and the rest of the world, with the largest network of hotspots in service by the end of 2003, spanning hotels, airports and other key sites.
WiFi wireless technology enables access to broadband network in any situation, especially for nomadic users who are away from their home or office.
Orange WiFi terminals in these lounges will give passengers mobile access to email, the Web or corporate Intranets, as well as a variety of other data transmission applications.
Strategic partnership for Air France and Orange
This new service mainly targets Air France business travelers, a growing number of whom travel with laptop computers.
The Orange WiFi network will cover all lounges operated by Air France in each airport. Travelers will benefit from best-in-class service, including 24/7 assistance (in French and English), plus a variety of access and payment solutions (prepaid cards, billing to mobile phone or Internet account, etc.).
The rollout calendar calls for deployment in the Air France "Espace" lounges at Roissy Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports within the next several weeks
Hot spots will then be set up by the end of the year to cover the airline's 25 most frequently used lounges around the world, including London Heathrow, New York JFK and Tokyo Narita, etc.
By the end of 2004, the Orange WiFi network will be available in all Air France lounges worldwide.
This program reflects Air France's ongoing commitment to bring its customers the benefits of new technologies that make their travel more convenient and comfortable.
"Air France selected Orange on the strength of its technical expertise and the fact that Orange has the largest base of business customers in France. This allows us to satisfy the needs of the largest number of passengers," said Air France marketing vice president Patrick Roux.
"This agreement reflects the way our customers will be able to use the Orange WiFi service, whether in an Air France lounge or from their room at an Accor hotel. It reflects Orange's commitment to providing customers with convenient services that allow them to easily work at every stage in a business trip," adds Yves Tyrode, director of data marketing services at Orange France.
Value-added Orange WiFi service for Air France passengers
The Orange service will meet exacting standards in terms of service quality, security and ease of use:
- The service will comply with the Air France and Orange requirements to guarantee extremely simple access.
- The Orange WiFi access network ensures that data exchanged by nomadic business travelers benefits from end-to-end security thanks to proven VPN technologies. The network will be supervised around the clock, with optimum time to recovery.
Customers with a WiFi-equipped laptop will be able to access the Internet at broadband speeds with no cables using prepaid cards or subscription service
About Air France
Air France is the first-ranking European airline for passenger transport, the third-ranking airline worldwide for international passenger transport, the fourth-ranking airline worldwide for the carriage of international freight, and the second-ranking multi-product maintenance operator worldwide. The Air France network spans 199 destinations in 85 countries, served by over 1,700 flights daily.
About France Télécom
France Telecom is one of the world's leading telecommunications carriers, with 111.7 million customers on the five continents (220 countries and territories) and consolidated operating revenues of 46.6 billion Euro in 2002 (11.4 billion euro at March 31, 2003). Through its major international brands, including Orange, Wanadoo, Equant and GlobeCast, France Telecom provides businesses, consumers and other carriers with a complete portfolio of solutions that spans local, long-distance and international telephony, wireless, Internet, multimedia, data, broadcast and cable TV services.
France Telecom addresses the needs of its major customers with solutions that integrate the group's full range of expertise.
About Orange France
Orange France is the subsidiary of Orange S.A. that comprises all France Telecom Group mobile communications activities worldwide. Orange is the leading mobile operator in France with a market share of 49.4 percent and 19.l2 million customers at March 31, 2003
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