Faced with its delay in deploying fiber, Orange has just signed an agreement with the State to accelerate the pace, in particular by committing to offering connection on demand.
While the deployment of fiber is a crucial issue for France and operators are gradually abandoning the copper network – which is set to disappear – coverage in France remains quite uneven, which creates a digital divide. However, one of the promises of this five-year term, very dear to Emmanuel Macron, is 100% fiber. And if France is one of the most advanced countries in the deployment of fiber in Europe, with more than 36 million eligible French people, the authorities have observed slowdowns or even a halt in deployments in certain areas. Yes, Orange is dragging its feet! Last October, the operator flatly stated that 100% fiber is simply impossible in France, due to the difficulty of so-called less dense areas – called AMII zones – to be connected to the network – areas difficult to access, operations too costly, etc. A statement that did not really please the Government…
After the latter and the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications, Posts and Press Distribution (Arcep) imposed a fine of 26 million euros on Orange, the parties, under the leadership of the Secretary of State in charge of Digital Marina Ferrari, met on March 12, 2024 in the territory of the Urban Community of Dunkirk, in the North, to sign an agreement aimed at accelerating the path to reducing the digital divide .
Fiber deployment: Orange must catch up
As reported Le Figaro, today there are real disparities in coverage in France, particularly in these famous AMII zones. Some municipalities have less than 80% connections. Also, Orange is committed to achieving a household connection rate in AMII zones of 96%, compared to 88% today, and 96%, compared to 92% currently, in very dense areas. This is equivalent to making 1.2 million premises in medium-sized towns and 300,000 in large cities connectable to fiber. By the end of 2024, the 55 priority urban areas, such as the Aix-Marseille Metropolis, the Agen Agglomeration, the Dunkirk Urban Community and even that of Besançon, will have to have caught up. Municipalities lagging behind will benefit from a significant catch-up effort, with the deployment of 140,000 lines.
Orange is also committed to setting up an on-demand connection (RAD) system, allowing each unconnected household in moderately dense areas to take a step ensuring they are connected within six months, until the closure of the copper network in 2030. And the Government will ensure that this promise is kept! The threat of a new sanction hangs over the operator. “We can start again if necessary,” warns Secretary of State for Digital Marina Ferrari, referring to the fine of 26 million euros.
But this agreement arouses criticism from Arcep, which has some reservations about the scope and duration of the commitments made, and anger from the competition. Indeed, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Free consider that the State is giving a favor to Orange, which has not respected its previous coverage commitments.