You call from abroad thanks to it: this discreet French group wants to become the master switcher of global telecoms

In 2018, after seven years spent at Orange structuring its international activities, he launched Tofane Global. Its ambition: to bring together telecommunications activities often considered secondary by their owners, but whose size becomes a decisive advantage when they are grouped together. The iBASIS platform, acquired from the Dutch operator KPN, constitutes one of the cornerstones of the building. The group has since continued its policy of external growth, in particular with the acquisition of the international activities of Telstra, the historic Australian operator.

“An independent is always more flexible than a large group”

A graduate of ESCP and NYU, Alexandre Pébereau was not necessarily predestined for a career in the telecoms industry. It was in Morocco, in 2001, during the privatization of Maroc Telecom, that he discovered telecommunications. He observed the transformation of a former administration into a listed company and measured the potential for the diffusion of mobile phones in emerging economies.

Back in France, he joined Orange and took charge of its international wholesale activities. There he learned to integrate subsidiaries, migrate sensitive infrastructures and develop services for clients spread across several continents. But he also notes the limits of this profession in a large group. Margins are low, of the order of a few percent, and profitability depends largely on volumes. In his eyes, independent operators, too small to compete alone, constitute potential targets.

By grouping their activities, it becomes possible to pool infrastructures, technical teams and commercial relationships, while improving costs. Sellers can shed unprofitable activities without abandoning their customers. “An independent is always more flexible than a large group,” he emphasizes. Consolidation thus becomes the driving force of Tofane.

“It’s a question of sovereignty”: the inevitable consolidation of European telecom operators

Strategic sensitivity of infrastructure

Behind the discreet equipment installed in data centers lies an issue much more sensitive than the transport of a call. The group's engineers develop software and algorithms capable of converting telephone signals into digital data and securing their circulation. The company claims around a hundred international patents, intended to support the evolution of technologies, from 2G to 5G, including fiber and satellite communications.

In a context of geopolitical tensions, the robustness of these infrastructures has become a commercial argument. International telecommunications networks have withstood attacks that took down supposedly tamper-proof computer systems. This strategic sensitivity was manifested during the Covid-19 pandemic. While international travel was paralyzed, Tofane teams had to maintain their operations and ensure continuity of services. For the founder, this period confirmed the ability of an independent operator to hold its own against the subsidiaries of large groups. We still have to deal with the structural decline in traditional telephony, particularly voice traffic.

Machine-translated from French