Today Arcep is launching a new version of its “J’alerte l’Arcep” reporting platform
“J’alerte l’Arcep” currently allows any user to report to the Authority malfunctions encountered in their relationship with their fixed or mobile telecoms operator, ISP or postal operator:
- For users: the platform creates an opportunity for them to become involved citizens, to see their experience given weight and help shape market regulation, and in so doing to encourage operators to improve their services and further develop their networks. It also allows users to rapidly obtain advice tailored to their circumstances;
- For Arcep, the alerts enable it to track the problems being encountered by users in real time, to identify recurrent malfunctions, and detect spikes in user alerts – with the ultimate aim of taking more effective regulatory action.
Using three years of hindsight and scorecards to improve the quality of the user experience and process alerts more efficiently
Since its launch in October 2017, the platform has made it possible to collect more than 90,000 user alerts. Arcep was able to draw on these three years of experience and the benefit of hindsight when rethinking how its reporting platform works.
1. Platform opening up to new groups of users who will be able to alert the regulator
Arcep has been responsible for regulating the print media distribution sector since October 2019. This sector has now been fully incorporated into the Authority’s reporting platform, in the same way as telecoms and postal markets. Newsagents and print media publishers in particular are now able to use this platform to alert Arcep to malfunctions in the marketplace.
“J’alerte l’Arcep” is also opening up to new audiences: app developers, telecom operators and consumer associations. Each has been given a dedicated input on the site, making it easier for them to send their alerts, and for Arcep to process those alerts. Regarding app developers, it is worth remembering that, in February 2018, Arcep published a report detailing the restrictions that devices’ operating systems, and especially smartphone OS, were able to impose on them.
2. Improved quality of experience for users
In addition to the layout and graphic redesign, the “J’alerte l’Arcep” platform’s pathways have been reconsidered to make it easier to submit an alert.
Arcep also wanted to increase the platform’s accessibility, building on the addition of a mini-site in 2019 for collecting alerts in French Sign Language (LSF) and Cued Speech (CS). A streamlined pathway has been created to allow people with disabilities to post an alert.
Lastly, “J’alerte l’Arcep” will soon be incorporated into the other data-driven regulation tools that Arcep has developed, to provide users with better information on the different networks: Mon réseau mobile (for obtaining information on mobile network coverage and quality), Carte fibre (fibre network maps and access info), Ma connexion internet and Wehe (an application that enables users to detect any block or throttling of internet traffic). As a result, users will have an easy way to alert Arcep when, for instance, they detect a discrepancy between the information displayed on one of Arcep’s tools and the reality in the field.
3. More efficient data processing
The information that users provide on “J’alerte l’Arcep” is relayed to the different Arcep departments through a tool called “Dactari”. To make the system more efficient, this tool has been completely redesigned. It gives Arcep staff access to dashboards for monitoring alerts, provides the ability to configure the alert system based on a threshold of alerts on a particular key topic, and now uses a decision-making algorithm to classify the alerts by theme.
A new stage in the data-driven regulation that Arcep initiated in 2017
The creation of this platform is an integral part of Arcep’s data-driven approach to regulation, which serves to complete the regulator’s traditional tools. Its purpose: to galvanise the power of information to steer the market in the right direction. There are three facets to this approach:
- Enable users to make informed choices to better steer the market
Arcep is developing a bespoke approach to information to enable users to make more informed choices when selecting their operator. To achieve this, data is made available to the public in two complementary ways: consumer platforms Mon réseau mobile, Carte fibre and Ma connexion internet (currently in beta testing) and as open data.
- Giving weight to the user experience when crafting regulation
The traditional regulator’s tools of technical and economic indicators help Arcep maintain a detailed knowledge of the market. To complete this approach and have the ability to detect weak signals, it now relies on the alerts received through the “J'alerte Arcep“ tool.
- Build an alliance with the crowd
To develop a crowdsourcing approach, and supplement the data that it produces on its own, notably on operators’ coverage and quality of service, today Arcep is focused on working with third parties such as players involved in crowdsourcing.