Orange has set out its latest five-year plan, named Essentials 2020, which involves investment of €15bn in its networks between now and 2018, in order to support a wider range of services and revenue streams. These include the internet of things (IoT), of course, with Orange targeting €1bn in revenues from this sector and from financial services, CEO Stephane Richard told a Paris event this week. Its network capex plan – which spans fixed and mobile but is particularly focused on high speed broadband – mirrors those of its peers, including Vodafone’s Project Spring and Deutsche Telekom’s multi-network strategy. However, the cost of the networks must be balanced by an ongoing cost reduction program, says Orange, and will be justified…