France Telecom announced a new push to extend DSL through France. The company is now targeting 3 million ADSL customers by year-end 2003 and that ADSL coverage will be available to 90% of the population by 2005. The new initiative has five major points:
- Equip central offices (local exchanges) to provide ADSL access as rapidly as possible when service is requested by at least 100 customers in a given local area. France Telecom expects to have 8,000 DSLAMs deployed in 2005, compared with 3,000 today. This will require 7,500 km of new fiber deployments.
Equip all central offices of over 1,000 lines (which serve areas with about 2,000 inhabitants) with ADSL access equipment by 2005
Launch satellite broadband Internet service in September 2003 for residential customers, businesses and municipalities in remote areas. France Telecom plans three different satellite service. "Pack Surf Satellite" lets users select their own ISP and supports four different data rates from 128 kbps to 2048 kbps for downstream traffic and 64 kbps to 512 kbps for upstream traffic. Oléane SAT covers both Internet access solutions and Intranets with the same range of speeds as Pack Surf Satellite. Wanadoo Pro Sat provides the same services as Wanadoo Pro ADSL, but without geographic restrictions. This service will provide data rates of 128 kbps downstream and 64 kbps upstream.
Launch trials of alternative broadband technologies in summer 2003 to meet customer demand throughout the country. Among these are services that integrate satellite broadband Internet and WiFi networks.
France Telecom's regional offices will pursue these initiatives in close liaison with local and regional authorities to assess customer demand and deliver responses adapted to broadband Internet needs.
France Telecom plans to invest EUR 600 million over three years in the broadband initiative.
http://www.francetelecom.com
- At the end of 2002, 1.4 million people in France had broadband Internet connections and about 50,000 new accounts were being added per week. It now takes about 48 hours to get new ADSL service in Paris and about one week elsewhere in France.
