BRC Survey Highlights Equant as a Winner in the Telecom Shakeout; Equant Ranks Best Among All Carriers Surveyed in Converting Bids into Wins.

Business Editors

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 11, 2002

Equant (NYSE: ENT) (Euronext Paris: EQU), an industry leader in data and IP services for multinational businesses, is highlighted as the winner in converting bids to wins in the most recent independent survey of global carriers by BRC Consultancy Ltd. of London.

Established in 1991, BRC is an independent consulting firm that conducts benchmark surveys and offers insights on telecoms and e-business to users, suppliers, investors and governments. The results of BRC's Win/Loss Report Independent Analysis of Major International Network Service Deals shows that Equant has won significant business from failed providers. The analysis, based on numerous interviews with executives of major multinational companies, concludes that "Equant is increasingly competitive and ranks best at converting bid attempts to wins." The report focuses on European buyers of international services from AT&T, BT, Cable & Wireless, Colt, Deutsche Telekom, Equant, Infonet, Sprint, WorldCom and others.

BRC's latest survey reveals that customers buying international data network services are increasingly moving their business to established telecom providers after being frightened by market turmoil. Equant is clearly benefiting from this trend. Over the last six months, Equant has won more than 50 contracts totaling in excess of $150 million from carriers that entered bankruptcy during 2002. In addition, Equant has no debt and has nearly $400 million in cash on hand, enough to fund it through 2003 to reach cash flow positive position, one year earlier than scheduled.

"Enterprises are clearly focusing on suppliers they believe are financially stable," said David McCron, director of BRC Consultancy. "The results of our most recent survey confirm that Equant has benefited from the current volatility in the telecoms industry."

"As the BRC survey reveals, having a provider with a resilient business model has moved to the forefront of customers' concerns, and Equant's capability in building a strong balance sheet and eliminating debt is a powerful selling argument," said Didier Delepine, President and CEO of Equant.

Equant is increasingly viewed by customers, analysts, and the media as a safe haven. Equant was ranked as the most stable and viable global service provider in Giga Information Group's August 9, 2002 report, Financial and Leadership Crises in Telecommunications: Recommendations for Enterprise Clients." The report surveyed U.S. and international service providers with facilities in 35 or more countries on at least four continents and based its rankings on current and near-term financial outlook, quality of executive leadership and employee morale, as measured by employee churn or layoffs.

Stability and viability were also key factors in the selection of Equant as "Best Global Carrier 2002" by Emap Communications Group, the prominent telecoms publisher, and ECTA, the voice of the European telecoms market. The organizers of the World Communication Awards said, "In a year that has seen a number of major global carriers exit the world stage and others struggling for survival, Equant has weathered its own challenges to emerge a stronger, more competitive player. Throughout one of the most difficult periods in the history of telecoms, Equant has maintained and grown its reputation as a world-class provider of global services to the business community."

About Equant

Equant (NYSE: ENT) (Euronext Paris: EQU) is a recognized industry leader in global data and IP network and integration services for multinational businesses. The Equant network has unmatched seamless reach, connecting key business centers in 220 countries and territories, with local support in 191 countries. Building on more than 50 years of experience in data communications, Equant serves thousands of the world's top companies with the industry's most extensive portfolio of managed network services, including the market-leading IP VPN used by more than 650 global businesses. Equant, a member of the France Telecom Group, was recently named Best Global Carrier 2002 at the World Communication Awards and consistently leads industry surveys in corporate user satisfaction.