Paris, 17 February 2015
In September 2014, the Prime Minister tasked the French Digital Council, Conseil National du Numérique (CNNum) with holding a wide-reaching debate on digital issues in French society. The mission given to CNNum was to open, collect and analyse the fruits of this consultation on digital matters to the whole of society, including the Government, administrations, businesses, associations and citizens and, in so doing, recognising the ubiquity of digital technologies, and the intrinsic value of each party’s contribution to the discussion.
ARCEP welcomes this unprecedented form of consultation which was able to generate a rich and compelling new kind of debate – a concrete expression of digital inclusion, and a digital society for all.
The French Digital Council structured this consultation on digital society around four themes: 1) growth, innovation, disruption; 2) fairness in the digital environment; 3) the digital transformation and public action; 4) society and the digital metamorphosis.
Over the past few weeks, CNNum has published summaries of the different contributions received to this consultation, which contain a wealth of information and insights.
This form of consultation, which won widespread approval amongst those who took part, illustrates the significance of digital technologies and the debates they fuel in our society, as recently underscored in the annual report in 2014 from the Conseil d’Etat on digital technologies and fundamental rights – which is in itself a valuable and contribution to the digital consultation, and one which provides a solid framework for the debate.
As the regulator of digital networks, ARCEP wanted to be part of this process and contribute to several topics: digital sovereignty, fair play between economy stakeholders and net neutrality.
In its contributions, ARCEP states that digital networks and the internet have become a critical infrastructure and a platform that is essential to the efficient running of the economy, and society as a whole. In an environment of unflagging innovation, it is crucial to ensure that public authorities have all the tools required to create incentives to deploy competitive infrastructures, to guarantee a fully open internet, and to ensure the sovereignty of France and Europe.
ARCEP wants to be a regulator that both enables and serves the digital revolution. Beyond this contribution, which marks a significant milestone, the Authority intends to interact and cooperate with all of the stakeholders and institutions in the digital universe, and to participate in establishing our country’s digital strategy.
Linked documents
Digital sovereignty
Fair play between economy stakeholders
Net neutrality