Orange extends its pioneering in-flight mobile phone roaming services to Jordan with OnAir

Orange, the sole integrated operator in the Kingdom, has announced the commercial launch of the in-flight roaming services, enabling Orange subscribers to use their mobile phones and smartphones to send and receive text messages, and make and receive phone calls during flights on several airliners.




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The Orange/On-Air agreement was signed in early April with Mrs. Majd Shweikeh CEO of Orange Mobile and her counterpart at 'OnAir' Mr. Benoit Debains officiating the agreement.

Commenting on the pioneering service, Mrs. Shweikeh said: 'The ability to use mobiles during flights is a revolution in today's telecom world. It is attracting massive interest from other GSM operators and global airline companies. Orange introduced this service as a representation of its continuous efforts to provide its customers with the most up-to-date technologies enabling Orange users to literally stay in touch with their businesses and loved ones, wherever and whenever.'

Benoit Debains, CEO of OnAir, said, 'OnAir was very pleased to enter into agreement with Orange in Amman, a global provider and an important operator for the region's passengers who will now get the choice to stay connected in flight. It's a dynamic and very exciting region where we have a strong customer base through deals with Royal Jordanian, Jazeera Airlines and Oman Air, with more to follow soon. '

'OnAir's service with Orange, called Mobile OnAir, is already operating with Air-France, and will soon be flying with TAP Portugal, Ryanair, Shenzhen Airlines (China) and many others to become one of the leading companies in the world that provides this service,' Shweikeh added.

This service enables all Orange customers with an international roaming subscription to stay in touch with others during flights by using their handsets, especially advanced handsets such as the BlackBerry device. Passengers will have the ability to send and receive phone calls and SMS as well as checking their emails.

Debains also added: 'The service is already available in Europe and will soon be offered on a number of airlines in the region and world wide.'




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About OnAir
OnAir was incorporated in February 2005 and is owned by Airbus and SITA, the aviation IT experts.

OnAir's goal is to give airline passengers the ability to communicate from the sky. The
OnAir service portfolio addresses passenger voice and data communications needs on both long- and short-haul flights, on Airbus, Boeing and business aircraft, with Airbus KID-Systeme acting as the integrator of the onboard systems required to access the OnAir services. OnAir focuses on passengers' needs, offering choice, and ensuring an economically viable business model for airlines. OnAir is a member of the GSM Association and an Inmarsat Distribution Partner for SwiftBroadband services.

For further information, go to www.onair.aero

About Orange:
Orange is the key brand of France Telecom Group, one of the world's leading telecommunications operators with over 153 million customers in 220 countries worldwide.

In June 2006, as part of France Telecom Group's integrated operator strategy to deliver simple convergent products, Orange became the single brand for mobile, internet and TV offers in France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Spain, strengthening Orange's position as the number two mobile and internet services brand in Europe. In addition, Orange Business Services became the new banner for business communications solutions and services.

Since its launch in 1994 in the UK market, Orange has been synonymous with making mobile communications an intuitive part of everyday life. Today the home of Orange has become Paris following their acquisition by France Telecom in August 2000. However, Orange is widely perceived as a global international brand stretching across the world.

About Jordan Telecom Group:
In 2000, France Telecom entered as a strategic partner and gradually increased its share in Jordan Telecom until it acquired 51% of shares to become the majority shareholder.

Jordan Telecom was first established in 1971 under the name 'Telecommunications Corporation,' which was then totally owned by the Jordanian government. In 1997 the corporation was privatized and became known as the Telecommunications Company, providing fixed line services.

Jordan Telecom Group decision was proclaimed in 2006 to integrate the fixed retail business unit, the mobile business unit, the internet and data business unit, the content business unit, and the wholesale business unit to be one giant integrated operator in Jordan.

The Jordan Group now serves more than 2.3 million subscribers with appropriate communication technologies, at affordable prices, and world-class service. The Jordan Telecom Group has started adopting mid of this year the Orange brand name for its services as part of a strategic plan aimed at providing the local market with world class services and products where it introduced its first milestone with the re-branding of Wanadoo; the Group's internet and data services business unit, into Orange, and then moved to the next phase by re-branding the fixed line services and finally the re-branding of its GSM operator into Orange.

About France Telecom:
France Telecom, one of the principal world telecommunications operators, had almost 160 million customers in five continents (220 countries or territories) as of December 31, 2006, out of which two thirds are under the Orange brand. In 2006, the Group achieved consolidated revenues of 51.7 billion euros. Launched in June 2005, the NExT program (New Experience in Telecommunications) is enabling the Group to continue its conversion as an integrated operator in order to make France Telecom the operator of reference for the new telecommunications services in Europe.

Since June 2006, Orange became the Group's single brand for the Internet, television and wireless telephony in France, the United Kingdom the Netherlands and in Spain, and Orange Business Services became the brand for the services offered to business worldwide. France Telecom is the second largest wireless operator and Internet access provider in Europe and among the world leaders in telecommunications services for multinational companies.

France Telecom (NYSE:FTE) is listed on the Eurolist market of Euronext Paris and on the New York Stock Exchange.

For further information:
Nicole Shahin / Rana Kawalit
Phone: 556 1592
Fax: 556 1593
Lara Lynn Golden Posted by Lara Lynn Golden, News Editor
Tuesday, June 17 - 2008 at 16:19 UAE local time (GMT+4)

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