Societe Publique Locale (SPL) Bourgogne Franche-Comte Numerique (SPL BFC Digital), a local public company tasked with the construction of fiber-optic networks in five departments (Saone-et-Loire, Cote-d’Or, Yonne, Nievre and Jura), has signed a 15-year lease agreement with French operator Orange. Under the deal, Orange will operate and market the public initiative networks (PINs, locally known as Reseaux d’Initiative Publique, or RIP) deployed by SPL BFC Digital. The PINs are expected to provide fibre-optic connections to 338,000 homes.