Orange pledges to tame costs to keep 2015 dividend stable

By Leila Abboud and Gwénaëlle Barzic PARIS (Reuters) - Telecom operator Orange predicted operating profit would fall slightly this year amid continued tough competition in its key home market of France but pledged to hold the line on costs to be able to deliver a stable dividend. The group has bet that better quality mobile and broadband networks will help it ward off low-cost French rival Iliad, as well as rejuvenated No. 2 player Numericable-SFR, recently formed in a merger. Orange spent 14.