In July 2023, Arcep created a scorecard to assess the impact of the work that the sector was doing to improve the quality of FttH networks, and today is publishing its fourth edition, providing a progress report of the work done thus far. The scorecard presents two types of indicator collected from commercial operators: the rate of failure and connection failure rates on these networks.
Improved indicators in large section of the country, to be confirmed over time
This new edition of the FttH QoS scorecard provides an opportunity to take stock of the progress in failure rates and connection failure rates, as defined in the first three scorecards, published in late July 2023, early February 2024 and late July 2024:
- The findings on failure rates are encouraging. Most networks are seeing a lower rate of failure compared to previous scorecards, and especially those networks that are part of a rehabilitation plan.
- There continue to be disparities in connection failure rates depending on the network. There is a clear improvement trend on the Altitude networks that were taken over in 2021 and on Altice networks. Connection failure rates on Altice networks are coming in line with market standards.
These positive changes are the result of the work that infrastructure operators and commercial operators have done to improve the quality of FttH networks (see inset). The progress observed is particularly visible on networks that are part of infrastructure operators’ rehabilitation plans. Arcep is nevertheless keen to stress that indicators need to be assessed over the long term, and that it is still too early to make a definite conclusion about the effectiveness of the work that has been done.
New indicators to be added to the scorecard
Work continues to be done on incorporating supplementary indicators that will create the ability, first, to obtain a more accurate picture of the user experience and, second, to measure the quality of the industrial processes that commercial operators have put into place for their connection installation work.
Ensuring fibre network quality: one of Arcep’s top priorities
Fibre to the home (FttH) networks have become the new infrastructure of reference in France for delivering electronic communication services, and fixed internet access in particular. Aware of how important it is to ensure the quality of these networks’ operation, Arcep began working with operators in 2019 on solving the quality issues that arise. In September 2022, operators presented Arcep and the Government with an FttH quality of service (QoS) action plan, which Arcep is responsible for monitoring and enforcing.
On its website, Arcep provides regular progress reports on this work that has two main aims:
• first, improving the quality of service calls on optical fibre networks performed by commercial operators’ technicians, combined with increased supervision and fixing any defective work performed on infrastructures;
• second, rehabilitating the networks with the highest rates of failure, which largely includes upgrading shared access points and all of the infrastructure in the shared access points’ service area, analysing network provisioning and realigning operators’ information systems with the reality in the field.
This scorecard of FttH network QoS rounds out Arcep’s toolkit for improving the quality of optical fibre networks in France. The indicators presented are designed to provide an objective status report on FttH networks deployed across the country, and to assess the effects of the work being done by the sector’s stakeholders to improve them. The Authority nevertheless stresses that these indicators do not cover all of the outstanding problems, notably those that commercial operators are responsible for solving.