This Tuesday, March 12, 2024, Orange and the State signed an agreement to relaunch the work of deploying optical fiber, in slow motion when it is not completely stopped in certain areas. But unsurprisingly, this deal is far from unanimous, whether among competing operators or even among associations of elected officials.
We mentioned it in our columns a few days ago. This Tuesday, March 12, 2024, Orange and the State signed a new agreement in Dunkirk with a view to relaunch the fiber optic deployment project in France. The question became urgent, as deployments have severely slowed down, when they had not been at a standstill in certain areas for two years. It was therefore necessary to find a solution, otherwise it would jeopardize Emmanuel Macron’s promise to offer fiber to all French people by 2025.
A new agreement between Orange and the State to relaunch the optical fiber project
As a reminder, this new agreement signed this Tuesday between the operator and Marina Ferrari, Mr. Barrot’s replacement, provides first of all thatOrange connects 1.12 million additional premises to fiber by the end of 2025 in medium-sized towns and outskirts of large cities (AMII zones).
Let us recall in passing that Orange had committed to covering these territories (i.e. 13 million premises) by the end of 2022. However, the objective was not achieved, which earned the operator a hefty fine of 26 million euros from Arcep in November 2023. With its new commitments in AMII zones, the deadline is therefore pushed back to 2025 (instead of 2022 ). They are also based on a target volume of new catchesand not an objective of a connectable rate.
Also read : Optical fiber for all – mission impossible, 700,000 homes will not be connected before 2025
Commitments that lack ambition
A detail far from trivial for associations of elected officials such as Avicca, the intercommunalities of France or even the Departments of France. In a press release published this Thursday, they affirm that these commitments will lead to a coverage rate of 97% instead of 100% as promised in 2018 by Orange.
The agreement also provides for the establishment a connection-on-demand (RAD) mechanism. To put it simply, this system will allow French people who request it to be connected to fiber within six monthsat least until the ADSL copper network is closed in 2030. But here again, things are not that simple.
For good reason, RAD de facto excludes “buildings which have been the subject of a blockage and/or refusal not falling under the responsibility of OI Orange (in particular due to the owners, communities or State services), and buildings of “already identified as being subject to exceptional construction difficulties”. In other words, this agreement does not resolve the problem of complex connections, which is completely inconsistent with Marina Ferrari’s statements. The Secretary of State in fact assured “that no territory and none of our fellow citizens wishing to access fiber will be left without a solution”.
A slowdown more than a catch-up for associations of elected officials
Then there is the question of catching up on fiber coverage on the 55 EPCIs (editor’s note: public establishments for intermunicipal cooperation) the most poorly covered. For associations of elected officials, we are facing a slowdown rather than a catch-up. For good reason, Orange is committed to installing 140,000 new catches within 18 monthscompared to 210,00 during the 18 months preceding the signing of the new agreement.
Elected officials also point the finger a limitation in time of the enforceability of the agreementwith an expiry date set in September 2026. In fact, in the event of non-compliance with the commitments made by Orange, Arcep will need to be able to control the data transmitted by the operator at the beginning of 2026 and verify the validity of numerous exceptions In an extremely short deadline. A problem notified by Arcep in passing. The associations also regret that Orange’s promise to maintain social rates and offer a telephone line via fiber has not become a commitment strictly speaking.
Operators also clap their fists
As for competing operators like SFR, Bouygues Telecom or Free, we consider that this agreement is much too kind to Orange, even though the company did not achieve its previous objectives. An opinion shared by UFC Que Choisir: “Has the government sanctioned the operator? No. He simply discussed with Orange to put in place another agreement… which represents a virtual renunciation by the government of all consumers having optical fiber by the end of 2025,” asserts the consumer defense association.
“The commitments are worse than the previous ones in many respects. Orange will also benefit from a particularly broad clause to disengage. assures the manager of a competing operator in the columns of the Tribune. A mixed agreement which is far, very far from being unanimous.
Source: Association of Elected Officials (CP), la Tribune, Maire-info.com