Fiber optics, the Holy Grail of the 21st century in the era of teleworking and the connected world, has its roots everywhere in France. With 32 million eligible households and businesses, France is a model across Europe. But, if 15 million French people have already adopted fiber, its future does not seem as bright as one might expect, as explained Le Figaro.
In the classroom of the Old Continent, the good student in the beret comes to the aid of his neighbors in need of know-how. If the Germans and the British take advantage of the generosity of France, its goodness risks losing the latter. The plan according to which France will have to be fully fiberized for 2025 is gradually wavering. It is Philippe Le Grand, president of InfraNum, the federation of players in the sector, who confides his concern on the occasion of the Universities of very high speed: “If nothing is done, the future of the France THD 2025 plan is threatened.” The government’s objective of connecting all households in a Hexagon to the white areas still present seems increasingly unachievable.
And the grain of sand that is stopping the machine is the same one that has been destabilizing many French sectors for a few months already: inflation. Whether it’s the rise in the price of energy or that of fuel, the subcontractors hired by the various operators to install the cables need more and more resources, drastically reducing the margins. “Officially, inflation is 6.7%. We estimate that the increase in costs for the sector is around 9% ”, explains Philippe Le Grand. It is an expanding and under-pressure sector that is not getting the growth it needs. The players in the community are therefore hoping for a boost from the State before it is a disaster.