French mobile phone concentration to bring higher prices: expert Shares in leading French telecoms operators soared Monday, as one of the top players officially launched a takeover bid for a rival that would profoundly shake the sector. The Altice group, owned by acquisition-hungry Franco-Israeli tycoon Patrick Drahi, announced an offer for Bouygues Telecom thought to be around 10 billion euros ($11.3 billion). A sector specialist says the disappearance of one mobile phone player will probably lead to higher prices for consumers. Images and soundbites.