Page 58 - SAMENA Trends - December 2020

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ARCEP Adopts New Decisions on Fixed Broadband Wholesale Market

French telecoms watchdog ARCEP copper network from 2021, ARCEP notes
has adopted a series of decisions, that the telco’s plans are ‘far from fully
updating the regulatory framework for established’ and has encouraged the
the fixed broadband sector following the operator to provide clarity on its plans as
completion of a market analysis program soon as possible. The decisions include
that lasted more than a year and included several asymmetric regulations that apply
dialogue with operators, the competition only to the provider with significant market provision of optical fiber; wholesale central
authority and the EC. According to ARCEP, power (SMP), namely Orange France. access provided at a fixed location (Market
the decisions are aimed at facilitating These were the definition of several 3b); and wholesale quality access provided
the migration from the legacy copper relevant markets, including obligations for at a fixed location (Market 4), including
network to fiber whilst maintaining pro- the SMP, and the imposition of maximum offers specifically intended for corporate
investment regulation and energizing the tariffs that Orange can charge for access end user sites or network elements. ARCEP
business market. The watchdog notes that to its copper local loop during the period also adopted a decision to implement
it is aiming to complete the switchover from 2021 to 2023. The relevant markets symmetric regulation of the fiber market,
from copper to fiber within the next ten are: a separate civil engineering market, with the regulator having determined
years and to that end has opened the for the wholesale provision of access to that there is healthy competition in the
possibility of a commercial switch-off physical civil engineering infrastructure segment. Highlighting the progress in the
prior to the technical switch-off, with the for the deployment of communications fiber market, the regulator noted that the
new regulations setting the terms and networks; wholesale access provided at availability of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH)
conditions for doing so. Although fixed line a fixed location (Market 3a), including products has risen from 11% in 2017 to
incumbent Orange France has confirmed unbundling of the local copper loop nearly 88% in Q2 2020.
its intention to begin deactivating the and sub-loop and passive offers for the

Cityfibre Confirms Wholesale Deals with Four More ISPs

HighNet will launch consumer services
in Inverness before expansion across
other Scottish markets. In the South of
England, Triangle Networks will offer its
services in Milton Keynes, with Trunk
Networks to begin by marketing its full
fiber services in Eastbourne and Worthing,
before adding new locations across
the South. Commenting on the matter,
CityFibre CEO Greg Mesch said: ‘CityFibre
has always set out to be the spark that
British pure fiber provider CityFibre has its networks. All four ISPs are reportedly will drive competition in the market – at
announced the signing of wholesale deals already mobilizing in preparation for what both the infrastructure and retail layer.
with four more ISPs, with these to offer CityFibre termed ‘imminent’ consumer As we welcome four more partners to our
services over its fiber-to-the-premises launches, with it also noted that some of growing full fiber networks, we are seeing
(FTTP) network. In a press confirming the the four – though it did not specify which that competition brought to life. In just over
development, CityFibre named its new – have chosen to do so under newly- two years, we have created a competitive
ISP partners as Air Broadband, HighNet, created consumer brands. In terms of ecosystem for ISPs that will result in
Triangle Networks and Trunk Networks, initial coverage areas, Air Broadband will greater choice for ISPs, better services for
saying that each has committed to at first provide services over the CityFibre consumers and a better outcome for the
acquiring ‘significant volumes’ of new network in Cambridge, Ipswich, Bury St entire country.’
customers in towns and cities across Edmunds and Lowestoft, while in Scotland,

58 DECEMBER 2020