Agreement on European telecoms rules: what of fibre rollouts?

A political agreement was reached on 6 June between the representatives of European institutions on the review of Europe’s Electronic Communications Code. Promoting access to broadband and superfast broadband networks via fixed and mobile “very high-capacity networks” is one of the stated objectives.

One of the key issues for France regarding fixed superfast network rollouts was to keep the existing framework, while consolidating the (notably symmetric) regulatory tools that have been in place for ten years now, to facilitate fibre deployments.

After lively debates between the proponents of competition and those in favour of a regulatory holiday to bolster investments in the new networks, the Code upholds the regulator’s ability to take action with respect to the SMP operator, while recognising how co-investment agreements can benefit the market, under certain conditions.

Ultimately, on this crucial matter, the new code draws its inspiration from our experience in regulating FttH here in France. So we will no see any dramatic chances to the regulatory framework that is already in place.

In addition to the issue of FttH network rollouts, the new code also seeks to adapt to new digital challenges. It also aims to lay the groundwork for closer collaboration between regulators in Europe within BEREC.

Philippe Distler, Arcep Executive Board Member

Field notes

Optical fibre rollouts in the Oise: a “100% FttH” PIN

On 13 June, an Arcep team led by Executive Board Member, Martine Lombard, travelled to the Oise to meet with elected officials and the teams in charge of the Oise THD (i.e. superfast) departmental public-initiative network (PIN).

The Oise PIN, where 60% of homes are passed for FttH (compared to the national average of 8% in areas covered by private-initiative networks) is among the most advanced. 100% FttH rollouts are due to be complete by the end of next year. To echo what Martine Lombard said during the trip: ‘All of France should be like the Oise’.

On the agenda for this trip: visiting an optical connection node (OCN), discussing the role that elected officials and Oise THD have in regional digital development efforts, and attending a meeting of the trade union committee with more than a hundred mayors and presidents of agglomeration and departmental councils.

Meanwhile in Brussels...

Telecoms code: a political agreement reached!

In the night of 5 to 6 June of this year, a political agreement was reached between the European Parliament and EU Member States on the content of the European Electronic Communications Code. This completes a legislative process for reviewing the Telecoms Package Directives that began in September 2016. The Code’s core ambition: to develop connectivity to very high capacity networks in Europe (notably fibre and 5G), by updating the rules governing access regulation and by introducing greater coordination on 5G spectrum assignment timetables. The Code also seeks to strengthen consumers’ rights and adapt the framework to current realities (incorporating certain web-based services and including broadband in the universal service).

As the expert regulator, Arcep lent its support to preparing French authorities’ position on the legislative work done on reviewing the framework. Working within BEREC, it voiced EU regulators’ common positions in public debates, in its capacity as BEREC Chair in 2017, and played a very active role in the technical analysis work performed when crafting these positions. In 2018, the Authority continues to be heavily involved in this issue, examining and later transposing this new Code, which is due to be adopted in mid-2018 and come into force by 2020.

Arcep, telling it like it is

Happy birthday “Roam like at home”!

Thanks to Europe’s “Roam like at home” regulation, for a year now, Europeans have been able to use their mobile phone when travelling in the EU in the same way they do at home. Scrambling to find Wi-Fi access, putting a phone call off until later or going without texting to avoid being overcharged is now a thing of the past!

Before this regulation came into effect, Arcep was actively involved in the extensive work done to prepare for the end of roaming in Europe, at both the European level (within BEREC, the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications) and at the national level, by supporting French operators and keeping them informed.

But Arcep’s work has not stopped there! Over the past year, Arcep has been supervising operators’ compliance with these new provisions, and working to ensure that every mobile product in France is compatible with the new regulatory framework. The result: at Arcep’s request, operators have removed inaccuracies in their price schedules, some mobile plans have been adjusted, and the messages operators automatically send to customers when they arrive in another country have been changed.
All done in a way which has been relatively transparent for users. Operators have met their newfound obligations, thanks to an ongoing dialogue with Arcep.

Bravo, Europe!

The “Mobile market regulation" Unit
Lénaïg Catz, Mohamed Toumi, Gabriel Araujo, Anthony Grasso

5 July in Paris
Internet Government Forum, France 2018

This year, the Internet Governance Forum France will be structured around two types of event: a series of workshops and a one-day Forum. The workshops on our digital future have been ongoing since 25 April, focusing on the major challenges that the Web is facing today: net neutrality, cybersecurity, how personal data are handled. Arcep will be hosting a workshop in October on IPv6. And the Forum will be on 5 July. This single day event, which will be opened by France’s Secretary of State for Digital Affairs, Mounir Mahjoubi, will include roundtables and workshops.
Find out more

9 and 12 July in Geneva
Global symposium for regulators

Hosted by the International Telecommunication Union, the global symposium for telecoms regulator will be taking place in Geneva from 9 to 12 July 2018. Its theme: New regulatory frontiers. Arcep Chair, Sébastien Soriano, will be there on 11 July, and will be taking part in a roundtable on “Mastering the new regulatory frontiers”, devoted to the regulator’s role as facilitator, working to foster innovation and, more generally, in its purely regulatory actions.
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