Swedish company Tele2 has sold its French mobile business to Virgin Mobile France, in which the biggest shareholder is UK group Carphone Warehouse. The deal does not involve Tele2’s fixed and internet operations in France, which are already part of SFR

Read more: [Tele2] [Carphone Warehouse] [Virgin Mobile] [MVNO] [France]

Virgin Mobile France, an MVNO which is 48.5% owned by Carphone Warehouse, will pay €56 million cash for Tele2, which has about 385,000 customers, of which 375,000 are postpay.

The deal will give Virgin 1.6 million customers in France, including 60% postpay, making it the largest MVNO in France and the fourth largest mobile operator.

Virgin and Carphone said the deal “marks a major step forward in Virgin Mobile’s growth plans in France and will help it progress towards its target of being profitable during 2010 and its ambition of having more than two million customers”.

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