Orange, Vodafone's license prolonged in Romania

British operator Vodafone and French Orange will have their mobile telephony licenses prolonged for a year in Romania for 6.4 million euros each, the governement said on Wednesday. "The governement has decided to prolong for a year (until the end of 2012) the license of the mobile operators. Each company will have to pay a tax of 6.4 million euros", the governement said in a press release. A new tender will be organized in 2012. Orange and Vodafone started to operate in Romania in 1997. Orange is market leader with 10.1 millions customers at the end of June 2011. Vodafone was counting 8.9 million customers at the same date.