France Telecom today posted the biggest French company annual net loss to date, €20.7 billion in 2002, mainly due to charges for exceptional items.
The state-controlled operator had a net loss of €8.3 billion in 2001.
Last year's loss was attributed essentially to €18.3 billion in exceptional charges linked to Italian mobile operator Wind, data communications subsidiary Equant and Swiss mobile operator Orange Suisse, the group said.
Operating profit, by contrast, rose 30.9 per cent to €6.8 billion in 2002, it said.
