Many territories still do not have access to a fast and efficient Internet connection in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and elsewhere in France. This is why the State and Arcep have developed the New Mobile Deal in order to address this problem by standardising mobile Internet coverage at national level.

Although the State is the initiator of this project, it is the mobile operators who manage it directly. Free, Bouygues Telecom, Orange and SFR are therefore responsible for the investment in the design of these new networks. Even though there are no subsidies, the State is in fact piloting this bold project and sharing its objectives with the operators, who must align themselves with it.

According to the State services, in collaboration with the local authorities, 509 areas are deemed to be priorities in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. 64 new additional sites are to be equipped in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region following the publication of the latest order on 9 April.

However, due to the region's many mountainous areas, installing the equipment necessary for the network to spread properly is much more difficult. This explains why the region has so many areas without access to a good Internet connection and why it needs special attention.

However, the health crisis makes this project much more difficult to implement and there are many delays.

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Source : ECOMNEWS

This financing agreement is the first of its kind between the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the French operator. The aim is to support the deployment of Bouygues Telecom's 5G network, "including in rural areas", and to increase its mobile radio network capacity "fourfold" by 2026, the EIB said in a statement.

Bouygues Telecom plans to invest €1.5 billion in the rollout of its 4G and 5G networks and in the fibre market, where the operator plans to win over 3 million additional customers. The group hopes to increase its subscription revenues by at least 40% over the next five years while increasing its profitability.

"Bouygues Telecom has great ambitions for mobile and 5G in the years to come and wants to help open up regions by reducing the digital divide. The European Union Bank's support for this vast industrial project is a validation of our choices and confirms the relevance of our strategy," said the operator's deputy CEO Christian Lecoq, quoted in the press release.

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Source : Le Figaro

Arcep takes stock of the 4G mobile coverage of the metropolis. The Telecom gendarme estimates that the territory is today 96% covered by at least one operator and 76% covered by all operators.

Within the framework of the New Mobile Deal, "2,066 zones have been identified by the local authorities. ...] To date, 462 new sites are providing voice and SMS services with "good coverage" thanks to 3G and very high-speed mobile broadband (4G) in areas that have been identified and prioritized by the local authorities," the regulatory authority points out.

Operators' commitments/obligations are also verified by Arcep. Identified by an order dated July 4, 2018, 445 sites were to be implemented by October 9, 2020. Assessment: "403 of the 445 sites have been commissioned, i.e. nearly 91%. ...] The causes of the delays in bringing the other sites into service are currently being analyzed" by the regulator's services.

"Arcep welcomes the good progress of the Mobile New Deal, thanks to the mobilization of operators, local players and public authorities. The Authority will ensure that the operators fully respect all the commitments they have made," concludes Sébastien Soriano.

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Source : NextInpact