PARIS (AP) — French conglomerate Bouygues offered 10.5 billion euros ($14.4 billion) for control of mobile operator SFR telecommunications, launching a bidding war Thursday that could extend the wireless industry’s attempts to consolidate in Europe.

Industry analysts said the Bouygues offer reflected broader trends on a continent whose mobile industry is split among some 150 major operators crisscrossing national lines — compared to just four in the United States.