Orange lowers its expectations and students face e-top-up fees

Orange is now expected to go to market valued between E45.6bn (£29bn) and E52.8bn (£33bn) - E10bn (£6.3) down on the valuation announced at the release of its prospectus and almost E30bn (£19bn) down on an original assessment of the former UK operator's market value.

While the cuts undermine the expectations surrounding Orange - originally tipped to become Europe's largest IPO - it also sends out worrying signals for other companies in the telecoms sector.

BT is waiting in the wings to float its Cellnet mobile arm, in an attempt to raise much needed funds to calm escalating debts. As such, the falling expectations of its near rival Orange will be of great - and gloomily portentous - interest...

Other news in the FT reports that students are facing further hardship, with Warwick University insisting all students have a laptop computer by 2003.

Warwick has regularly been praised for its innovations in an increasingly technology-aware higher education sector, but the latest initiative, set out in An e-strategy for the University of Warwick is already raising concerns.

The University claims to be heading towards a situation where the use of mobile computing facilities will be essential - echoing the hot desk ideal of wireless based companies. Students will have to hire the laptops from the University at a proposed cost of £1,250 over a three year course, with students on a hardship scheme being given the opportunity to replace the currently free computing facilities with a rented laptop at the knock-down cost of £850 for three years.

The cost of the scheme will be included in the course fees, to bypass legal restrictions on additional cost.

The most obvious accusation being levelled at the scheme is that the University is bringing in 'top up fees' via the backdoor, and while making students more au fait with modern technologies is an education in its own right, you have to question the economics of this particular scheme...