LONFON-Orange plc, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Orange Communications Ltd., said it submitted a bid for the third mobile phone license in the Republic of Ireland.
The United Kingdom-based operator is not in partnership with any other companies at this stage in its pursuit of the license, but is open to future participation of local partners in its bid application, said Orange.
“We believe there is an excellent opportunity for Orange to repeat its success in the [United Kingdom] by entering a growing market and by introducing true competition to the marketplace,” said Graham Howe, group finance director of Orange.
The Global System for Mobile communications service provider also is rolling out its network in Northern Ireland, and plans to launch commercial service later this year, said Orange.
With more than 1.3 million customers recorded April 2, Orange has clenched 14.2 percent of the U.K. market share since its launch in 1994, the company said.