ARCEP pleased that the Competition Authority has issued a favourable opinion of the Authority’s plans.

Paris, 22 September 2009

On 28 July 2009, ARCEP submitted its draft decision and recommendation concerning the terms and methods of ultra high-speed optical fibre electronic communications line deployment and access to the Competition Authority (Autorité de la concurrence) for feedback.

ARCEP is pleased to have today received a favourable opinion from the Competition Authority on these projects.

In its opinion, the Competition Authority also invites ARCEP to oversee the information-centric discussions between the players that will be key to a system of infrastructure sharing, and to ensuring that any possible new entrants will be able to enter the market.

ARCEP will take the utmost account of the different remarks made by the Competition Authority.

In the near future, ARCEP will be submitting its draft decision and recommendation to the European Commission and to the competent authorities in other Member States, before submitting them for feedback to the Electronic communications advisory committee (Commission consultative des communications électroniques). Finally, once the decision has been adopted, ARCEP will submit it for approval to the Minister responsible for electronic communications, before its publication and entry into force by the end of the year.