After three white years because of the Covid-19, the elite of telecoms finds itself, Wednesday, December 14, under the golds of the great salon of the Sorbonne, in Paris, as it was used to before the pandemic, for the traditional wishes of Arcep, the policeman of the sector. Internal quarrels have often agitated the large family of French telecoms and this annual reception was sometimes the opportunity to explain themselves. The atmosphere this evening promises to be particularly tense, and not only because part of the assistance will have their eyes riveted on the semi-final of the Football World Cup between France and Morocco, broadcast in a corner of the room.
Heard on November 30 by the Senate Economic Affairs CommitteeChristel Heydemann, the CEO of Orange vilified a regulator considered soft. “In essence, the independent administrative authorities are independent, but they are placed under the control of Parliament. They are accountable to you.”launched Mrs. Heydemann, in the style “cash” which she claims. In support of this verbal attack, Orange plans to file two appeals before the Council of State against Arcep by the end of 2022.
For her first wishes since her appointment as President of Arcep, in February 2021, Laure de la Raudière, former deputy (Agir) for Eure-et-Loir, is thus obliged to manage a conflict in public open with the biggest player in French telecoms. “It happens that an operator attacks the authority, it’s Orange’s choice and I keep in touch with them”minimizes, with the WorldMadame de la Raudière.
However, she says to herself “very surprised” attacks from the general manager of Orange, seeing “also the expression of a new governance”. Mrs. Heydemann took over as head of Orange in April. His senatorial exit would thus be a way of marking his authority and making it understood that the operator does not intend to let things go. “We need a strong regulator, who immerses himself in the subjects. But nothing is progressing. And our fear is that in the end, we will always be turned to us to solve the problems ”we insist at Orange.
Fiber optic deployment delays
Two subjects, technical but central to the financial results of Orange, set fire to the powder. The first is the price of unbundling, namely the rent paid by Bouygues Telecom, Free and SFR to use the copper lines of the former incumbent operator in order to sell high-speed Internet (ADSL). In February, Arcep opened a public consultation to consider raising its price.
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