Commenting on the 2017 earnings report, Stéphane Richard, Chairman and CEO of Orange Group, said:
“2017 was a remarkable year for Orange in more ways than one. The Group delivered an excellent commercial performance, driven by very high-speed broadband. We now have 4.7 million fibre customers and 46 million 4G customers across the Group. This performance has translated into solid financial results. Thanks to a strong fourth quarter, revenues in France returned to growth for the first time since 2009. Spain maintained its impressive growth, while our Africa & Middle East segment recovered strong momentum, with 3% revenue growth year on year.
Buoyed by these positive results, the Group’s operating cash flow grew for the first time since 2009. 2017 also saw the launch of Orange Bank, which has succeeded in attracting close to 100,000 customers in less than four months. Our expertise in financial services is now recognised and the success of Orange Money, with its 37 million customers, shows no signs of slowing. This strong performance can be attributed to the significant contribution of the women and men of Orange and I would like to warmly thank them for their commitment.
Our strategy, based on sustainable value creation, is delivering. This has enabled us to reaffirm our objectives for 2018 and to recommend an increase in the 2018 dividend for our shareholders.”