New technologies, users’ new expectations and new responsibilities for Arcep: with its nine strategic objectives and three courses of action, Arcep is aligning its strategies with the challenges of our times.
Digital infrastructures everywhere, for everyone and for a long time to come
For close to three decades, Arcep has been regulating the communication networks (telecoms, postal, press…) at the heart of French people’s daily lives. It works to continually improve fixed and mobile connectivity and the quality of postal services. It establishes the conditions conducive to fair and effective competition and innovation, taking regional development public policy objectives into account.
To keep pace with changes in economic life, in technologies and the accelerated pace of development for digital practices, Arcep’s actions are evolving to meet users’ new expectations: equity in fixed and mobile internet access, network quality and resilience, shepherding the switchoff of certain networks (copper, 2G, 3G). At the same time, Arcep’s key role as the technical-economic regulator has been expanded to include new responsibilities, entrusted to it by the legislator: overseeing the press distribution sector, facilitating the emergence of new players in the cloud computing market, developing innovation through data sharing, and taking digital technology’s environmental impact into account.
Arcep is taking new strategic directions to respond to these challenges.
Its ambition up to 2030 is to ensure that the country is equipped with digital infrastructures for the coming decades, and that the internet remains an area of freedoms. These infrastructures for accessing the fixed and mobile internet, the cloud and AI services, and for sharing data must be accessible everywhere, to everyone and for a long time to come.
Everywhere
Arcep’s ambition is for everyone in France to enjoy high quality services, and for connectivity to satisfy this imperative of universality.
It will therefore work to ensure the quality and availability of every network nationwide – finalising fibre rollouts, and access to new generation mobile networks – while shepherding the switchoff of old legacy networks. By giving them greater access to digital infrastructures, it will also help French businesses become more competitive: dedicated connectivity, access to the cloud and business data sharing will guide our actions.
To everyone
To increase users’ freedom of choice and to lay the groundwork for unleashing innovation, from its inception Arcep’s actions have been geared to fostering more open networks and digital infrastructures: fair competition for fixed and mobile electronic communication services, and an open internet.
By the same token, it will work to safeguard the development of fair and effective competition in digital markets, through regulation tailored to cloud services. It will lend its expertise to deliberations over the development of artificial intelligence, in France and in Europe. Net neutrality watchdog, Arcep will promote the view that it should be extended to other links in the digital chain: smartphones, gatekeeper platforms, the cloud and generative AI must adhere to certain principles to ensure that the internet remains open, to guarantee freedom of expression and the freedom to innovate.
For a long time to come
Arcep will work to build a sustainable digital environment, and thereby guarantee future generations’ ability to also reap the benefits of digital technology.
Accessing the internet has become crucial for everyone, for the overall functioning of our economy and our society. It is thus vital to ensure that our digital infrastructures be future-proof and resilient; Arcep will participate in the discussions on this topic initiated by local authorities and the Government. We will also contribute to setting the trajectory for digital sustainability, ensuring that digital development continues to align with the critical objectives of the Paris Climate Agreement.
Through this new positioning, through its regulation and the voice it lends to Europe and internationally, Arcep will continue safeguarding the conditions for making digital an instrument for good, working to empower individuals, to make our businesses competitive, and for our society as a whole.