The Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications, Posts and Press Distribution (Arcep) shared last week an assessment of the high and very high speed market in France. With the publication of this document, the regulator is also consulting the sector on the changes to be made to the regulation as part of the preparation of the fixed market analyzes for the period 2023-2028.
The regulator considers that the competitive situation of offers for professionals and businesses remains “unsatisfactory”, while the sector remains dominated by Orange. Although “encouraging developments have been observed in certain specific market segments”, notes the report, “large-scale market positions have, to date, changed little”.
On the residential market, on the other hand, while a majority of fixed Internet subscriptions are now very high-speed in France, Arcep believes that competition there is more balanced. According to the regulator, the market shares of the four main operators, Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Free, “are not significantly affected by the migration of end-user access from copper to fiber”.
Public consultation on regulatory issues
Arcep has also identified the structuring challenges of the regulation of fixed markets (optical fiber and copper networks) for the years to come. The authority recalls that its ambition is “to adapt regulation to developments in the sector, and in particular to support the switchover of users from the copper network to fiber”.
Arcep wants to ensure that the FttH networks are “capable of fulfilling their reference fixed infrastructure function”. To do this, it is “necessary that the closure of the copper network announced by Orange takes place in line with the state of the deployment of fiber networks and their real capacity to take over copper access, guaranteeing a good level of quality of ‘operation and resilience’, indicates the regulator.
Arcep also considers that it is “necessary to maintain a satisfactory level of quality of service on the copper network until it is shut down”. Finally, Arcep adds that “effective access to physical infrastructure that can accommodate very high-end networks remains an essential prerequisite for the success of the final stages of deployment of fiber networks and their resilience”.
A public consultation is open until September 28, 2022.