Change in the composition of the Committee of experts on fibre network sharing

Paris, 7 December 2015

The Committee of experts on fibre network sharing, established by ARCEP Decision No. 2012-1295 (1), is a working group devoted to examining the technical conditions that will enable the smooth running and integrity of the networks included in optical fibre network sharing schemes, and particularly the interoperability of operators' equipment. This working group is chaired by Catherine Mancini (Alcatel-Lucent) and composed of some 30 experts from the sector, including representatives of telecom carriers, equipment suppliers, local authorities, groups of installers and standardisation bodies. ARCEP performs the committee's secretarial duties.

Committee opinions and reports are adopted by consensus, and its conclusions are published on the ARCEP website (2). The committee recently produced and updated a "Compendium of functional and technical specifications for FttH networks outside very high-density areas" (updated in July 2014 and July 2015).

In response to requests from certain players to change their representatives, today ARCEP is publishing a decision that updates the list of members and companies represented on the committee.

In addition, following the creation of the Agence du Numérique (Digital Agency) in France, ARCEP decided to invite a member of that agency to sit on the committee as an observer. As part of its mandate to harmonise and standardise the networks deployed under the France's superfast broadband programme, Plan France Très Haut Débit, the Agence du Numérique could draw on the work performed by the Committee of experts. By the same token, the Committee's future work could benefit from being informed of the technical guidelines adopted by the Agence du Numérique.

This decision also provides definitions for the core terminology that the Committee of experts uses in its fibre discussions, works and opinions.

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(1) ARCEP Decision No. 2012-1295 of 16 October 2012 creating a Committee of experts on fibre to the home (FttH)
(2) http://www.arcep.fr/index.php?id=11310