Paris, 21 July 2011
Pursuant to ARCEP Decision No. 2010-1312 of 14 December 2010, this week France Telecom published its access offer for fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) lines outside of very high-density areas in France. The offer sets the terms of access and particularly the modalities for third-party operators’ co-investment in these new optical local loops. This solution constitutes a key structural component for fibre rollouts across the country, and aims to allow all operators to join in the process.
ARCEP also welcomes the joint announcement from France Telecom and Free who today revealed plans to implement this solution in some 1,300 municipalities located outside of very high-density areas, or a total five million households, and to begin work before the end of the year. The Authority hopes that other operators will contribute to these investments, whether as cofinancers of the France Telecom offer or as operators deploying their own networks and introducing their own access solutions.
These shared investments in FTTH rollouts will help further the emergence of a wholesale market in these areas, which will result in a competitive market that will be beneficial to consumers.
