French operators are set to launch the most ambitious national broadband wireless networks in Europe to date, with the WiMAX mobile standard at the heart of services. Iliad will be the first to offer WiMAX connectivity to its 1.6 million subscribers under the Free brand, although it has yet to give any firm timetable for complete rollout. It is currently the only company in France with a national licence to provide WiMAX, acquired when it bought Altitude Telecom last September.