Altice’s Portugal unit is reportedly in discussions with two banks about tapping into its digital channels and offering a new generation of financial services next year

Alexandre Fonseca, CEO of Altice Portugal told Reuters: “We try to diversify because today’s operator is not the same as it was 10 or 15 years ago… A telecom today has to offer a wide range of services and products to the client,” he said. “We will continue to work to improve our services and be disruptive, not only in what we traditionally offer but also in areas we are less known for”.

The chief added that Altice Europe’s plans to create a digital bank, reported last year, were on hold for the moment, but this will not stand in the way of the Portugal business going ahead with offering its own financial services.

At the time it was said the service was likely to launch under the Alticebank name, fitting with the company’s new branding strategy to strengthen the Altice name globally.

A launch into France’s banking sector would see it compete directly with Orange, which has had some teething troubles. Orange Bank was introduced in November 2017, having been delayed by four months due to issues related to quality and reliability.