Unlike in other countries where Apple has an exclusive deal with one of the phone operators to sell and provide service for the iPhone 3G, in France the regulators said “Non!”

The body which in English would be translated into the Council of Competition (Conseil de la concurrence) ruled that any French mobile operator should carry the iPhone.

The decision of the Conseil de la concurrence comes after on September 18 Bouygues Télécom, the third largest mobile operator in France, filed a complaint arguing that the Apple-Orange deal violates freedom of competition and pricing laws in France. The Council said that competition has been lacking in the French mobile communications market and an exclusive deal between Orange and Apple doesn’t help.

The Council’s ruling is reportedly temporary, precautionary and "pending a decision on the merits" of the issue. Meanwhile, the Council will continue to investigate the situation. The measure not only requires Apple to open the iPhone to other French mobile phone operators, but also bars Apple and France Telecom to enter any other exclusive agreements for future iPhone models.

Orange announced that it plans to appeal the measure before the Court of Appeal in Paris. The company said the council’s decision undermines its efforts to develop high-speed mobile services in France.

The Conseil de la concurrence argued that the exclusive deal between Orange and Apple si harmful to consumers and competition in the mobile phone market.