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From the telephone modernisation plan of the 1970s to today’s superfast broadband plan, our country has proven its ability to mobilise around vast infrastructure projects. But, working as closely with those in the field as possible, regulation also needs to be agile to support the development of networks, SMEs’ digitisation, high quality and innovative services. In other words, it must be open to experimentation, to operators’ initiatives to satisfy the demand for efficiency being continually reiterated by citizens and businesses alike, for which “it is indispensable, vital… it has to work!”
Pierre-Jean Benghozi, Arcep Executive Board member
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Regulation in action
Encourage all operators to invest in fibre
On 9 January, Arcep published regulatory guidelines for broadband and superfast broadband markets, with two main objectives in mind:
- Regarding rollouts and infrastructures, the aim is for all residential market players to invest. To this end, Arcep announced its intention to lift the obstacles impeding alternative operators’ and local authorities’ investments, and subscribers’ migration from broadband to superfast broadband plans;
- In the business market, regulation is geared to building a mass market for fibre access for small and medium enterprises (SME), by increasing the range of products available to businesses on FttH networks and laying the groundwork for new players specialising in infrastructures dedicated to businesses.
These guidelines will be the subject of three draft decisions, which will be published for public consultation next month.
Find out more
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On our radar
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Monique Liebert-Champagne, new Arcep Executive Board member
On 30 December of last year, the President of France appointed Monique Liebert-Champagne to the Arcep Executive Board. She succeeds Marie-Laure Denis whose term of office has expired. A State Councillor, Monique Liebert-Champagne had been the Chair of Energy Regulation Commission’s (CRE) Dispute settlement and sanctions committee (CoRDiS) since 2013.
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News from around the world
Broadband access declared a basic service in Canada
Making broadband internet access a basic telecom service for all Canadians: this is the new ruling handed down by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). Believing that it is a true measure of economic competitiveness, the CRTC wants to ensure that a high-speed (minimum 5 Mbps) internet connection is made available to everyone in Canada, one of the vastest countries in the world.
To achieve this, the Canadian government will be investing 750 million CAD (or €535 million) over five years to build or upgrade the country’s fixed and mobile internet access infrastructures.
Find out more
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Arcep, telling it like it is
 Arcep is currently holding a consultation on its ecosystem for frequency allocations. Since the start of 2016, several frequency bands, notably the 2.6 GHz and 3.5 GHz bands, have been the central focus of our work in this area. At stake: the development of regional connectivity and connectivity for businesses, 5G and innovation opportunities in general. Because frequencies are a scarce and strategic resources for the telecoms market, this has been a highly anticipated public consultation. We have received a large number of requests for access to spectrum from operators, regions wanting to develop wireless fixed internet access, businesses with professional mobile services needs and Internet of Things stakeholders.
One of the difficulties of this work, which was spread out over close to a year, concerns the many possible uses for these frequency bands. We published our public consultation on 6 January, to once again hear from the players and listen to their needs.
This process will lay the groundwork for our forthcoming frequency allocations, and should provide us with the general outline of our work programme for the coming years!
Blaise Soury-Lavergne, Mikaël Saada, Alexandre Godey, Arnaud Comerzan
“Mobile frequency allocation” unit
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Mark your calendar
Arcep and the Independent Regulators Group (IRG) are celebrating their 20th anniversaries!
Arcep will be celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2017. To mark the occasion, Arcep and the Independent Regulators Group (IRG) will be co-hosting an international conference on the topic “RegTech is the New GovTech: reinventing regulation”, on the afternoon of 22 February in Paris. Winner of the Memorial Prize in Economics, Jean Tirole, Fields Medal winner, Cédric Villiani, Professor of Entrepreneurial Legal Studies and co-director of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, Yochai Benkler, will be among the many luminaries on hand.
By invitation only. The symposium will be live streamed on the Arcep website.
The programme
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1 February 2017 in Brussels
BEREC workshop on the Internet of Things
One year after publishing its report on the Internet of Things, BEREC will be hosting an experts workshop to take stock of the latest developments in the sector. The issues of privacy, security, interoperability and connectivity will all be on the agenda, along with case studies from the transportation and energy sectors. The event will be live streamed on the BEREC website.
27 February to 2 March in Barcelona
Mobile World Congress
31st edition of the biggest trade show in the world devoted to mobility, hosted annually by the GSMA! The entire mobile industry will gather in Barcelona for four days to unveil their latest innovations in mobility, the Internet of Things, etc. Arcep will be there, and Sébastien Soriano will be taking part in several events being organised by the GSM Association.
Find out more
27 February to 2 March in Barcelona
4YFN Barcelona
Four Years From Now is a satellite event at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that connects start-ups working the area of mobility.
Find out more
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