Orange

Overview

Orange was originally a UK telecommunications company formed in 1990 as a consortium, Microtel Communication Ltd, led by British Aerospace to provide cellular service in Britain. In 1991 through a stock swap between British Aerospace and Hong-Kong-based investment holding firm Hutchison Whampoa, both companies gain controlling interest. The consortium is rebranded to Orange and launched in the UK mobile phone market in 1994. In 1999, Orange is acquired by German industrial conglomerate Mannesmann, followed by an acquisition by Vodafone. However, the latter acquisition was on condition of a divestment of the telecommunications firm for EU competition regulations, leading to France Telecom to obtain ownership in 2000. From 2005 onwards, in order to position itself as a global player in the telecommunications market, France Telecom began restructuring all operations under the brand, and in 2013, the company was officially rebranded as Orange.