France Telecom-Orange Affirms FTTH Rollout Plans

France Telecom-Orange affirmed its decision to deploy fiber-optic networks in 3,600 French community by 2015. In total, the Group will offer FTTH network coverage for 10 million French households by 2015 and 15 million (60%) by 2020.

The Group has already deployed FTTH fiber networks in around fifteen of France's biggest cities and the surrounding suburbs. The deployment program for the main towns beyond very dense areas has also been announced according to a calendar that is in line with regulations.

For regions that are not explicitly mentioned in the plan submitted to French authorities, the Group will intermediary solutions (Fiber-to-the-Curb, satellite, etc.) that offer a step-change towards Very High-Speed Broadband. In particular, France Telecom-Orange will participate in the development of Public Initiative Networks (Réseaux d'initiative publique) as is the case in Laval (Mayenne, north-west France). The Group plays an active role in the government's Very High-Speed Broadband pilot program and is already involved in four of these projects.

France Telecom-Orange plans to invest 2 billion EUR in this program over the period 2010-2015. The company will also look for co-investors and will cooperate with other network operators in offering access solutions.

"I am very pleased to be able to reaffirm and even reinforce our ambitions regarding very high-speed broadband networks as part of a drive to provide the entire French population with access to high-quality digital services," said Stéphane Richard, Chief Executive Officer of France Telecom-Orange. "This commitment clearly illustrates the new dynamic that Orange has embarked upon since the launch of our Conquests 2015 project. To achieve this ambition, we have mobilized our staff and our expertise as a network operator with a view to consolidating our market position in France and making the most of the growth potential that this network can offer for the year's to come. This will be done within a spirit of openness with regards to our environment and to other operators."http://