The agreement includes the least densely populated private-initiative zones in France (AMII zones).
In total, Orange will step up the pace of deployment, and is committed to bringing fibre to an additional 1.12 million homes by the end of 2025.
Orange acknowledges that deployment disparities between different urban areas exist, and said that additional efforts will be made in areas with the lowest fibre coverage within AMII zones to make more than 140,000 homes be connectable to a fibre network by 2024.
In more densely populated areas, Orange plans to make more than 300,000 homes and businesses connectable to a fibre network by 2025.
In a shift from its previous plans to deploy fibre in AMII areas, Orange also said it will provide an “on demand” offer providing connectability to all customers who are not eligible for fibre within six months of their request.
This offer will be available until the copper network is shut down and supplements industrial deployments by geographical sector.
In 2024, the Group will conduct a trial of on-demand deployment for its customers in two major cities.
Orange will also continue to offer fibre access at a subsidised rate for eligible households until at least 2027. The “Coup de Pouce” (Helping Hand) offer enables low-income households3 to benefit from a no-commitment package that includes Internet, TV and phone access, a refurbished laptop and digital coaching.
“After making a major contribution to the success of the France Très Haut Débit plan (France's superfast broadband plan) in 2022, Orange is once again working with the government to ensure the widespread deployment of fibre by 2025,” Orange CEO Christel Heydemann said on the announcement.
Having already covered 21 million of the 36 million eligible premises in France, we're determined to make this major project a national success, benefiting as many people as possible. I want to thank all Orange teams and partners contributing to the success of this major industrial project.”
