An end of estoppel to the incumbent operator

Champion of the Internet service to more than 20 million French subscribers, broadband the France soon to become very high flow. End of March, beyond 290.000 subscribers to very high-speed Internet cable (Numéricable), France had only 75,000 subscribers connected until home fibre-optic. The President of the regulatory authority for electronic communications and posts (Arcep), Jean - Ludovic Silicani, was "surprised and disappointed" by this figure. "There is a disconnect between the number of connected households, approximately 800,000, very strong and the number of subscribers", he said. "In France, the low price of ADSL and offers high-quality meet perhaps consumers today", he attempted to explain, while tempering the delay: "In Europe, with a few exceptions, the rate of subscription to the optical fiber is very low." "Operators, wait in 2009, must now put forward their commercial offers," said Jean-Ludovic Silicani.

Only Bouygues Telecom dispute the regulatory framework before the justice. It in effect before the Council of State to this title. However, the Chairman of Arcep, arrived in his head just a year ago, is optimistic. "It is a background race", he said in his speech, but it can undoubtedly say that the cycle of investment in fibre optics started in France ".

Develop sharing

The pattern of the Telecoms Regulator noted that operators come from launch of co-investments in 80 municipalities. For him, "it might have 2 million homes connected fiber or cable in mid-2011. In a few days, the regulator makes public its proposals to develop very high flow in less dense areas. There, "75 of the fibre-optic networks will be shared against 25 in dense areas", announced Jean-Ludovic Silicani. The goal is to minimize the investment for operators "to extend optical fibre networks as widely as possible." Areas in which the fiber will probably never happen, they will benefit from the highly mobile broadband. But the sale of fourth-generation telephony frequencies will not take place before the end of the year, their assignment expected to be "at the latest by the summer 2011. As the regulator is experiencing technical difficulties.

Beyond the record of very broadband, telecoms Constable defended his design of the regulation while Stéphane Richard, the Director General of France Telecom, had asked mid-may "that is called into question the current sector regulation", particularly as regards the ADSL. Yesterday, at the general meeting of France Telecom, Stéphane Richard returned to the charge. "France Telecom should still be regarded as a dominant operator, subject to some regulatory constraints to lower its prices and to increase flow", asked DG.

For Jean - Ludovic Silicani, "sectoral regulation ...". "is the best antidote to the excesses of a market without rules and cyclical crises." It considers that the current level of regulation is "balanced", noting that "the weight of the regulation on France Telecom is lighter and will continue to ease in time". Last week, the President of Arcep was already expressed on this subject in the Euro TMT letter: "the weight of the regulation of Arcep on the activities of France Telecom in France is 100 million euros per year." Or 0.5 of its revenues. This beautiful horse short therefore with a disability, of course, but light enough! ", stated Jean - Ludovic Silicani. An end of estoppel to the incumbent operator.