LONDON, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Mobile operator Orange has slowed its fixed-line broadband roll-out in Britain and returned to the drawing board on its planned Internet-based TV service as it grapples with the most competitive market in Europe.
Tom Alexander, chief executive of Orange UK, which is owned by France Telecom, told reporters the company had scaled back the broadband roll-out to focus on improving the quality of service rather than simply going for growth.
It is also building out its own broadband network, rather than renting lines from BT, which will allow it to take more control and secure better profits.
Olaf Swantee, the head of Orange's global mobile operations, said he had previously received hundreds of complaints from unhappy broadband customers in Britain but had recently seen that improve after the change of focus.
Orange has just over 1 million users signed to its fixed-line broadband service and is ranked sixth in Britain behind BT, Virgin Media, Carphone Warehouse, Tiscali and BSkyB.
Alexander, speaking late on Tuesday in comments embargoed for Wednesday, said the group was also reviewing its plans to launch Internet protocol television because it was not happy with the service.
Alexander said Orange had run a trial of the TV service in Britain following its success in France and said it had been ready to roll out. But they had decided it was too similar to a TV offering from BT, BT Vision, and wanted to rethink how the service should work.
"No roll-out imminent," he said at a briefing in central London, adding that they would look at different business models. New business models for TV could include TV on mobile. (Reporting by Kate Holton, editing by Will Waterman)