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Orange has partnered with Facebook to support a new accelerator designed to support startups focused on network infrastructure development as part of the Telecom Infra Project (TIP).

The initiative, called ‘Telecom Track’, will give startups an opportunity to engage directly leading experts from within Orange and its partners on tackling a number of network-related issues, ranging from network management to new access technologies, across a number of regions. They will receive all of the current benefits as part of the existing Orange Fab programme, in which they will participate in dedicated workshops, mentoring sessions with experienced specialists, receive an optional €15,000 in funding, and have access to work space at the Orange Gardens, where the Group’s research and innovation teams are based.

In addition to drawing upon the global Orange Fab network, the startups will have access to experts from the TIP community, TEAC, and Facebook. Moreover, this framework will help them connect to innovation teams, investment partners, and venture capitalists, who will provide them additional expertise and potential funding in order to launch new products and services.

Mari-Noëlle Jégo-Laveissière, executive vice president of innovation, marketing and technologies, Orange, said: “As part of our network evolution towards 5G and future technologies, there is a huge opportunity to innovate at the network level, and a need to support the bright minds and talents that will keep pushing telecoms innovation forward.”