Orange announced plans to deploy up to 2,000 new mobile sites in France, mainly in rural areas and along transport routes, by end-2024 in partnership with infrastructure company ATC France, to increase the density of its coverage in the country.

The operator explained in a statement there was rising demand for fresh infrastructure due to operator commitments to boost coverage. Fabienne Dulac, Orange deputy CEO and head of Orange France, said rural areas were a priority for the company.

She added the partnership with ATC France, a subsidiary of American Tower Corporation, would enable the operator “to accelerate deployment in these key areas while retaining our capacity for differentiation and our ability to invest in the networks, whether they are fixed or mobile”.

Julian Plumstead, CEO for Europe at ATC, added the partnership would “reinforce our infrastructure in France”, while strengthening “the ties and the synergies between our two groups over the long term”.

Financial details of the agreement between the two were not disclosed.

Of the 25,000 Orange sites in France, it owns 17,000 directly. ATC France, meanwhile, hosts nearly 5,500 sites for operators.

Earlier this month, Orange detailed plans to establish an independent tower operating company to handle European infrastructure operations, as part of a new five-year economic strategy.