On Wednesday the French Competition Council ruled [PDF] that Apple and French telecoms company Orange must immediately cease its exclusive relationship.
The order comes as a result of a complaint filed by France's third largest mobile operator Bouygues Telecom on September 18 of this year. The complaint argued that the deal between Apple and Orange violated local freedom of competition and pricing laws.
The ruling is reportedly only temporary while the competition council looks into the complaints. In addition Apple and Orange enter into any other exclusive agreements for future iPhone models during the temporary period.
The French Competition Council stated that Apple and Orange's exclusive relationship posed a serious threat to competition and causes consumers to incur hefty and unjust fees should they attempt to switch providers.