Remote French citizens get mobile solution

The French Post Office is to sell mobile phones over the counter in a bid to bring greater connectivity to people living in remote towns.

Phones will be on sale in nearly 5,000 post offices in towns with between 2,000 and 30,000 inhabitants and both subscription and non-subscription based packages will be on offer. France's three mobile phone operator - Bouygues Telecom, France Telecom's Itineris and Vivendi's SFR - will offer the handsets as well as a range of prepaid phone cards. The offer will gradually be widened over the next 12 months to an additional 9,000 post offices. In a statement the Post Office claimed the move was designed to reinforce its role in delivering high tech services to remote towns around France. The Post Office has been offering internet access kits since October, in association with its website illiclic.com.