The total number of (very) high speed subscriptions (all technologies) in France reached 29.4 million at the end of Q2 2019. ARCEP reports that quarterly growth in of overall broadband take-up came almost entirely from the increase in the number of end-to-end fibre optic subscriptions. As of June 30, 2019, the number of end-to-end fibre access lines was 5.8 (1.9 million more than one year before).

 

However, ARCEP also warns that the speed of fibre deployment needs to accelerate. France’s ‘Plan France Très Haut Débit’ (Plan THD) aims to provide very high-speed broadband across France. Under the Plan THD initiated by the government in May 2013, approximately 25 million homes (80%), will be equipped with FTTH by 2022.

 

The French Government has recently taken two principal measures to provide financial support for local authorities, in order to accelerate countrywide high-speed broadband coverage by 2022. The ‘Guichet THD’ has been reopened with € 140 million reserved for supporting new Public Initiative Networks (PINs), whilst Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has also announced that € 242 million in subsidies will be dedicated to France’s 10 départements.

 

The Government has affirmed that “more than 4 million premises have been made connectable to optical fibre during the last 12 months, bringing the total number of households eligible for a very high-speed broadband offer to 21.6 million.” The Prime Minister added that “general availability of broadband throughout France by 2020 and ultra-fast broadband in 2022, will be achieved.”

 

However, according to Richard Toper, CEO of Engineering and Consulting firm Setics, which is very closely involved in executing France’s broadband plan, it’s more important to consolidate the rollout of FTTH networks than to accelerate the deployment of these networks: indeed, the FTTH networks will remain operational for decades in the 21st century.