France Telecom – Orange | July 21, 2011 | Press Release
France Telecom-Orange has published its third party-operator access offer for its FTTH fiber-optic network outside very-dense areas, and has signed an agreement with Free (Iliad Group) concerning fiber deployment in these areas that is due to begin in 2011 and 2012.
This offer and this first agreement with an operator – Free (Iliad Group) – fall within the ongoing high-speed broadband roll-out program announced on 3 February 2011, which followed the Group’s response to the French government’s request for detailed information on its plans to invest in Very High-Speed Broadband networks (Appel à Manifestation d’Intention d’Investissements). The program, on which France Telecom-Orange will spend 2 billion Euros by 2015, aims to bring fiber-optic networks to 3,600 French municipalities (communes), covering 10 million households by 2015 and 15 million households by 2020 (corresponding to 17 million homes), totalling nearly 60% of French households.
Outside the areas defined as “very dense” by the French telecoms regulator ARCEP, this program will cover 3,440 municipalities totalling 11 million homes by 2020 and will include all “medium-sized” towns in France.
The regulatory framework for FTTH roll-out outside very dense areas was established at the start of the year. This has enabled France Telecom-Orange to put together its wholesale offer, which was published on 19 July 2011. This offer, which was presented to ARCEP before publication, has been submitted to the principal FTTH operators. In line with the principles outlined by ARCEP, this offer enables the mutualisation of networks outside very-dense areas thereby giving end-users the freedom to choose the service-provider they desire. The offer is open to all operators.
France Telecom-Orange is delighted that Free (Iliad Group) has decided to subscribe to the offer for the agglomerations (towns and surrounding areas) in which Orange plans to begin the deployment of fiber in 2011 and 2012. Under this program, close to sixty agglomerations, including a total of some 1,300 municipalities (communes) or 5 million homes, will be covered by 2020. In parallel, France Telecom-Orange is continuing active discussions with interested operators.
The deployment of these networks will take place in close cooperation with the relevant local authorities.
It is a major new milestone in the deployment of high-speed broadband in France.
