The Council of State validated on Thursday a decision by Arcep that imposes a fine of 26 million euros on Orange for failure to comply with its commitments in the deployment of fiber in certain areas.
A “not disproportionate” demand
The Council of State considered that “the commitments assumed by the plaintiff company (…) were sufficiently clear to make it appear, in a reasonably foreseeable manner, that non-compliance could be sanctioned”, in a decision on October 28.
The judicial institution also estimated that “the amount of 26 million euros” of fine imposed by Arcep on November 7, 2023 “was not disproportionate.”
The sanction falls one day after the announcement of an agreement between the State and Orange to relaunch fiber deployments, which are suffering in certain territories such as the so-called “amii” areas, of moderate density where operators have gone ahead, exempting communities to subsidize operations.
If France is one of the most advanced countries in the deployment of fiber in Europe, with more than 36 million French people eligible for this very high-speed network (more than 80% of connectable premises), the authorities have observed a slowdown , or even a stop. , deployments in certain areas.
Source: BFM TV
