Michel Combes, after being appointed as the new Chief Operating Officer of Altice and Chairman of the Board of Numericable-SFR, laid out his plans for the French mobile operator.
Combes had said to daily Les Echos that he was aiming to regain the market share not by launching a price war, rather by offering new services, improved content, better network and simpler subscriptions, Reuters learned.
Iliad's Free Mobile has shaken up the mobile market in 2012, with its low-cost plans.
During the first part of the year, it was reported that the company's market shares rose to 16 percent. In return, it allegedly placed pressure on established companies such as the Numbericable-SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Orange.
While others are convinced that SFR can vie with low-cost telecommunication companies by competing with its prices, the recently appointed leader has a different view.
"We will continue our investments. However, I do not believe that winning back customers requires lowering prices," he stated.
The new Chairman of the Board is convinced that SFR, long-known in the mobile industry for its innovation, will regain its position.
Combes, 53, left his position as CEO of Alcatel Lucent on Tuesday. The known French-equipment manufacturer is being acquired by Nokia Oyj, according to Bloomberg's report.
He has more than 25 years of working experience in the industry of telecommunications, according to RTT News. Other than being the CEO of Alcatel Lucent, he was also the CEO of Vodafone Europe, Chairman and CEO of TDF.
Before Altice and Numerical-SFR, Combes was also the Chief Financial Officer and Senior Executive Vice President of France Telecom.
"We need to continue to structure and industrialise the operation of the group," he said when he was asked if Altice, controlled by billionaire Patrick Drahi, will continue its initiative for acquisition.
Combes, at this point, prioritizes securing and strengthening the company's current assets.
