Orange SA IPA: [ɔʀɑ̃ʒ] is a mobile network operator and an internet service provider that is a subsidiary of France Télécom. Orange also belongs to the FreeMove mobile phone alliance. Orange is now the unique commercial facade of almost all France Telecom services.
It is a mobile network operator in Europe, including France, Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom (see Orange UK), Switzerland, Austria

Introduction
Microtel Communications Ltd was formed in April 1990 as a consortium comprising Pactel Corporation, British Aerospace, Millicom and french company Matra (British Aerospace soon acquired full control of the company). In 1991 Microtel was awarded a license to develop a mobile network in the UK, and in July 1991 Hutchison Telecommunications (UK) Ltd acquired Microtel from BAe. BAe was paid in Hutchison Telecommunications (UK) Ltd. shares, giving the company a 30% share. Microtel was renamed Orange Personal Communications Services Ltd. in 1994. Wolff Olins and advertising agency WCRS created the Orange brand. (The logo is square because a round Orange logo was already in existence designed by leading Graphic Designer Neville Brody for the reprographics and printing firm that is also known as Orange). The Orange network was launched on 28 April 1994.
Orange plc was formed in 1995 as a holding company for the Orange group. France Télécom formed the present company in 2001 after acquiring Orange plc (which had been acquired by Mannesmann AG, itself purchased by Vodafone shortly after, leading Vodafone to divest Orange) and merging its existing mobile operations into the company. The company was initially 100% owned by France Télécom (although there were and remain minority investors in some of the national operating companies). In 2001 15% was sold in an IPO, but in 2003 this was bought back in.

Orange (mobile network operator)
Orange as an ISP operates in France, the United Kingdom, Equatorial Guinea, the Netherlands, Spain, Senegal, Slovakia and Switzerland. France Télécom also operates as an ISP in Poland through its stake in Telekomunikacja Polska, which is now being co-branded as Orange. It is currently the largest ISP in Europe with over ten million subscribers (including those of Telekomunikacja Polska), largely concentrated in France, the UK, Spain, the Netherlands and Poland, and was originally known as Wanadoo.
The origin of the name Wanadoo is subject to some controversy, as some maintain it came about in the late 1990s when many internet companies competed to choose "Yahoo" sounding names. However it might be that the name Wanadoo first appeared in an internal project at France Télécom, much in line with a number of other such projects such as Intranoo, Tatoo, Netatoo and @noo.
Wanadoo was floated on the stock market on 18 July 2000. In 2000, Wanadoo also took over the major British ISP Freeserve, which had previously been part of the Dixons Group (now DSG International plc). Following the buy-out, Freeserve maintained its own branding for a while before finally changing to the Wanadoo name on 28 April 2004.
However, the name Wanadoo changed to Orange on 1 June 2006 to simplify branding by common parent company, France Télécom. This merging of companies has created a single brand offering mobile telecommunications and internet services.

Orange (ISP)
In June 2005, France Télécom announced that its ISP Wanadoo and business service Equant will both be renamed Orange in 2006 to harmonize branding. In July 2005, France Télécom announced its intention to acquire 80% of the Spanish mobile phone operator Amena, a deal that was completed in November 2005. Amena was also rebranded to Orange with Wanadoo in Spain and Uni2, a fixed line provider, to complete a "triple play".
At the beginning of 2006, Orange in Slovakia started providing triple-play services via FTTH under the name "Orange Homebox".
From July 2007, T-Mobile Netherlands [1] is trying to buy Orange Netherlands from France Télécom.

Recent changes
Because the brand was originally owned by Hutchison, many of Hutchison's Asian and Oceanic subsidiaries continued using the Orange brand until recently.
On the 1 February 2006, Hutchison Telecom announced its Australian affiliate would withdraw the Orange brand name. Its CDMA network was shut down on August 9, 2006, after the vast majority of its customers had already migrated to the 3 network (also owned by Hutchison).
The Orange brand name has also now been removed from India. Orange Mumbai has now been rebranded to Hutch. The website simply states that "Orange is now Hutch in Mumbai" before redirecting to the Hutch website.
The Orange network in Thailand was rebranded to True Move in 2006, after Orange SA pulled out from Thailand.
The Orange brand continues to be used under licence by Partner Communications Company Ltd. in Israel.

Use of the Orange brand by other companies
Most operations in Orange SA are also branded Orange, but not all - the exceptions being Mobistar in Belgium, One in Austria, Mobinil in Egypt and Optimus Telecomunicações in Portugal. This generally relates to whether the parent company has a majority holding.