Orange to invest â,¬2bn in French fibre network
11.02.10
Orange has committed itself to investing around â,¬2bn between now and 2015 in developing its fibre-based broadband network in densely-populated areas in France, following the recent clarification of the regulatory framework for the deployment of very high-speed broadband.
The company added that it already invests nearly â,¬3bn each year in its network and infrastructure, and with the new programme it has announced, it is not planning any substantial change to the amount that it will invest in France, where a large proportion is allocated to the modernisation and maintenance of its network and service infrastructure.
In very densely-populated areas, deployment will resume in the nine agglomerations already covered (Bordeaux, Grenoble, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Metz, Nantes, Nice and Toulouse), as well as in the Paris region. This deployment will also be extended form 2010 to new cities such as Cannes, Montpelier, Orleans, Rennes, Strasbourg and Toulon. Orange also intends to invest in densely-populated areas, with a test phase to be carried out in Chatou (Yvelines) and Oullins (Rhône) before a wider deployment in six towns from 2010: Brest, Dijon, Le Havre, Pau, Reims and Valenciennes.
Orange says that it aims to offer fibre-based broadband in all regions of mainland France (in around 45 agglomerations) by 2012, then in all departments in France and in three overseas departments by 2015. For less densely-populated areas, the company says that it is open to partnerships with local authorities in order to accelerate the deployment of fibre-based broadband networks through an intermediary stage based on ramping-up speeds on the existing Fibre-to-the-Curb (FTTC) network.
The telco had a reported 33,000 customers subscribing to its fibre services in France by the end of September 2009.