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While it is no longer possible to request new connections, Orange announces the start of the “industrial phase&# 8221; of the definitive shutdown of the old telephone network based on copper pairs – which is still used to deliver millions of internet access via xDSL technology.
Wednesday January 31, 2024, the incumbent operator will therefore press the OFF button for a first batch of 211,000 households. The operator has previously launched several experiments since 2020 to ensure that the deposition of the switched telephone network (PSTN) would go smoothly.
The closure of the RTC (ADSL, telephone) will take at least 6 years
Each lot is also chosen to ensure that only homes located in areas where fiber has been pulled are affected by the closure of the RTC. ARCEP is monitoring the situation closely so that the homes and business premises concerned have an alternative available to access the internet.
The total closure of the RTC, however, will take several more years – for the moment the deadline is set for January 2030. The approach of Orange and ARCEP is in fact to close copper access in increasing batches important; enough to move forward more easily with the deployment of fiber. In the following years, during January, other batches of lines will be deposited.
In January 2025, 954,000 premises in 829 municipalities will see their copper lines cut. In January 2026, the closure will affect 2.5 million premises in 2,145 municipalities. Before reaching the definitive closure of the 42 million lines still active at the beginning of 2030.
Of course, once again, ARCEP does not& #8217;has no plans to force the execution of the plan at all costs. As the line is deposited, the closure of the RTC will become more and more noticeable – and probably political. To prevent the situation from turning into a disaster locally, the authority emphasizes that if operators do not meet the deadlines for the deployment of fiber, ARCEP will not hesitate < em>“to request the postponement of the closure in certain municipalities”.
The president of ARCEP, Laure de La Raudière, also warns operators who install fiber: “ the quality of service difficulties encountered must still today be resolved.” Operators are therefore called upon to speed up installations while ensuring their quality; enough to avoid seeing a proliferation of defects, and other problematic installations reported by French Internet users even today.
- Orange kicks off the closure of the copper telephone network, which is still used today to deliver millions of internet access via the network. ADSL.
- This closure, which must go hand in hand with the installation of fiber throughout the territory, will take at least 6 years, with an expected end in 2030.
- In total, no less than 42 million lines must be submitted by this date, under the very attentive eye of ARCEP, which says it is ready to request the postponement of the closure in certain municipalities if the commitments of all stakeholders are not respected.
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