Following the publication of the decree, ART calls the "unbundling" working group and launches a second experimental phase

29 September 2000

On 22 September, Jean-Michel Hubert, president of Autorité de régulation des télécommunications (ART), called the "unbundling" working group which had been established in February by ART and which is chaired by Alain Bravo.

After congratulating and thanking the group for work already completed, which have made it possible to set up trials, the second phase of which should begin by the end of September, Jean-Michel Hubert emphasized the importance of the work remaining to be done in order to make unbundling a reality.

The publication of the decree dated 12 September 2000 regarding access to the local loop establishes the legal framework for unbundling and sets a three-phase implementation schedule:

• Before 1^st October 2000: France Telecom provides information on its network to allow operators to schedule their deployment and to take co-location orders for equipment on France Télécom premises
• Before 1st December, France Télécom publishes its reference offer
• On 1^st January 2001, the commercial phase of unbundling begins

A number of issues concerning operational processes, technical rules and pricing remain to be dealt with before 1^st January. Jean-Michel Hubert emphasized the need for concentrated effort by all parties and asked that Alain Bravo's group continue its work in order to accompany the implementation of unbundling in coming months.

By 1^st November, ART will publish the calculation method and pertinent cost list in order to inform the market, based on work already completed by the group. It will also present its analysis on the technical and operational means which should be included in the reference offer.

List of candidate operators and experimental sites in phase 2

(NB: operators participating solely in phase two are printed in bold type)