Fibre-to-the-home (FttH) networks have become the new reference infrastructure in France for providing electronic communication services, and particularly fixed internet access. 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 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 fifth edition.
A 5th edition expanded to include new indicators for measuring commercial operators’ compliance with industrial processes for installing connections
This new edition of the FttH QoS scorecard includes two new indicators: the rate of improper connections by type of defect and the rate of defect correction within 30 days. These indicators mark a first step towards representing the quality of connections installed by commercial operators, and could evolve over time through the work being done in concert with all of the operators.
The first findings reveal disparities between operators in the quality of the connections they install and in repairing the reported defects. These two indicators need to be assessed together. Some defects are more complicated to correct than others, which can affect how long it takes to do so.
Work also continues on fleshing out the scorecard with additional indicators to be able to obtain a more accurate picture of the user experience.
Visibly improved quality on most networks
As with previous editions, this FttH QoS scorecard measures the progress in failure rates and connection failure rates: failure rates continue to improve and connection failure rates appear to be levelling off. Average failure rates on the most degraded networks decreased from 0.51% in January 2024 to 0.30% in October 2024, and so gradually coming in line with market standards. On some networks, however, notably in the Ile-de-France region, failure rates and connection failure rates remain high.
It is still too early to make a definite conclusion about the effectiveness of the work that has been done to date. Arcep is keen to stress that indicators need to be assessed over the long term, and that the entire sector needs to be involved and continue to implement the “Fibre QoS” action plan that Arcep presented to the Government in September 2022 (cf. inset).
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.