16 November 2000
Yesterday (Wednesday 15 November), Autorité de régulation des télécommunications (ART) closed the application procedure launched on 29 September 2000 for the allocation of authorisations for the creation and operation of radio local loop networks in the Auvergne, Corsica, Limousin, Franche-Comté and Guyana regions.
The goal of this latest procedure was to deliver the authorisations which had not been granted in the previous application procedure launched on 30 November 1999, because of the resignation of three of the chosen candidates.
Today, ART published the complete list of candidates.
- 4 companies submit 9 applications for 7 authorisations
In each region, the number of applications was greater than or equal to the number of authorisations available.
| Region | Number of authorisations available | Candidate companies |
| Auvergne | 2 | Belgacom France, BLR Services |
| Corsica | 2 | BLR Services, Broadnet France |
| Franche-Comté | 1 | Belgacom France, BLR Services |
| Limousin | 1 | Belgacom France, BLR Services |
| Guyana | 1 | Media Overseas (subsidiary of Vivendi) |
- An accelerated examination timetable
The selection procedures will be conducted by ART according to an accelerated timetable. ART has already begun examining the applications.
Examination involves ensuring that candidates meet the qualification criteria, then, in regions where the number of applications is greater than the number of authorisations, it ranks the candidates based on the selection criteria, in accordance with the provisions of the application procedure text published on 29 September of this year.
For each of the five regions, a report listing the chosen candidates will be made public by ART, as on 11 July following the last application procedure for the radio local loop.
- Regional development at the heart of the procedure
This new application procedure should ensure that all available authorisations following the previous procedure are issued, in order to ensure there are four radio local loop operators present in all of Metropolitan France (2 operators have been granted an authorisation for the entire territory, and 2 other operators in each of the Metropolitan regions) with two radio local loop operators in each of the Overseas Départements.
In each region, the chosen operators will be subject to obligations affecting deployment and service provision, which are identical to those required in the applications according to the same deadlines as those for the previous procedure.
Thus, Auvergne, Corsica, Franche-Comté and Guyana should, like all other regions, soon see the deployment of radio local loop networks.