Wireless Federation

France raises US$ 3.45 billion in 4G mobile licence auction (Europe)

On 01.02.12, In Mobile, By Editor

Mobile operators Bouygues Telecom, Orange France and SFR were successful in winning 4G mobile licences in the 800 MHz band. According to reports, the Government of France was able to raise US$ 3.45 billion through this second round of auction.

The country’s telecommunications regulatory authority, ARCEP, is hopeful that these licences will help improve the competition in the wireless industry. Sources claim that both Orange and Bouyges Telecom were awarded one frequency block each for US$ 1.16 billion and 890.3 million respectively. SFR was the only operator successful in acquiring two frequency blocks for US$ 1.4 billion.

Telecom operator Free Mobile was unable to acquire a licence, but reports reveal that the operator will be able to offer services on SFR’s network under certain conditions.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: 4G mobile auction • Arcep • Bouygues Telecom • France • Free Mobile • Orange France • SFR

France telecom regulator grants 4G spectrum licences

On 09.26.11, In Mobile Operators, By Editor

France telecom regulator, ARCEP, has granted 4G mobile spectrum licences to all four main telecom operators in the country in the first round of auctioning. As per reports, France Telecom SA and Iliad SA’s Free Mobile will be allocated a duplex frequency block of 20 MHz, while Vivendi SA’s SFR and Bouygues Telecom will be allocated a duplex frequency block of 15 MHz.

According to sources, ARCEP said that the prices paid for the frequencies translated to a strong valuation of state property, bringing in a total of US$ 1.6 billion compared with a reserve price of US$ 944 million. As reported earlier, France expects to raise at least $ 3.4 billion from the 4G spectrum auction. Operators seek to acquire 4G rights as it enables them to offer their subscribers faster download speeds and a better internet experience.

Filed under:Mobile Operators Tagged with: 4G • Arcep • France

ARCEP receives bids from four operators for 4G spectrum (France)

On 09.19.11, In Mobile Technology, By Editor

French telecom regulator, Arcep, has received bids from four of the mobile operators in France for the fourth-generation (4G) mobile spectrum being auctioned by the country.

As per reports, regulatory authority ARCEP said that bids have been submitted by France Telecom, Vivendi’s SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Iliad in order to acquire some of the 4G spectrum being auctioned from the 2.6 gigahertz spectrum band. However, details regarding the share of the spectrum or the price required to be paid were not clarified. Further, ARCEP said that the outcome of the auction for the lower-quality band will probably be announced before mid-October 2011. Bids for the higher-quality 800 megahertz band, which will be sold for a greater price, are due by December 15, with licenses expected to be awarded in 2015.

France expects to raise at least $ 3.4 billion from the 4G spectrum auction. Operators seek to acquire 4G rights as it enables them to offer their subscribers faster download speeds and a better internet experience.

Filed under:Mobile Technology Tagged with: 4G • Arcep • Bouygues • France • France Telecom • Iliad • Vivendi

ARCEP releases accuracy audit of GSM coverage maps (France)

On 03.17.11, In Mobile, By Editor

French telecommunications regulator ARCEP has released the results of its 2010 audits to verify the accuracy of GSM coverage maps published by mobile network operators Orange France, SFR and Bouygues Telecom.

Field surveys have been used each year since operators began publishing coverage maps in 2007. Arcep found a 98% level of accuracy in last year’s maps and explained that 100% accuracy is very difficult to achieve, notably due to uncontrollable variations in radio propagation. Last year the figure was 96%.

The tests require an at least 95% success rate in making and maintaining a call from a fixed position with a standard handset for 1 minute.

The regulator found that although the reliability of the maps is generally good at the national level, it still needs to be improved in certain municipalities, and has reminded operators of the need to correct the published maps. Audits to be performed in by the end of October will include 286 new municipalities.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: accuracy audit • Arcep • Bouygues Telecom • France • French telecommunications regulator • GSM • GSM Coverage Maps • Mobile • Orange France • SFR

Arcep reports 21.3 mn fixed broadband connections (France)

On 03.09.11, In Mobile, By Editor

French telecoms regulator, Arcep has revealed that the country has recorded 21.3 million high speed and ultra-high speed fixed broadband connections at the end of 2011. It recorded a net increase of 440,000 subscriptions on the end of the third quarter, and 7% higher year-on-year.

The watchdog’s findings show that 19.9 million (or 93%) were xDSL lines, 460,000 were FTTx and the remainders were for other technologies such as cable, wireless or satellite.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Arcep • fixed broadband connections • France • FTTx • High-speed • Mobile • Telecoms Regulator • ultra-high speed • xDSL lines

France Telecom plans to counter-sue Numericable

On 03.01.11, In Mobile, By Editor

France Telecom is planning to counter-sue Numericable, considering the cable operator’s US$4.28 billion damages claim against it as frivolous.

Numericable has sued the company for changing the way the two companies manage access to France Telecom’s underground network through which Numericable’s cables run, arguing that it was negatively affected by the modifications.

An initial dispute on the matter was brought before regulator Arcep, which ruled in France Telecom’s favor.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Arcep • cable operator • counter-sue • France • France Telecom • Mobile • Numericable • Regulator

France Telecom plan to seek partnerships to finance fiber launch

On 02.07.11, In Mobile, By Editor

France Telecom has revealed that it is planning to seek partnerships to finance fiber rollout in the market.

The company stated that cooperation with other potential fiber operators and co-investment deals will be major elements in achieving ambitious goals for fiber coverage in the country. It is investing US$2.71 million to deploy fiber to ten million homes by 2015, and aims to pass 15 million homes by 2020.

The French government had asked the carrier to supply a detailed breakdown of its plans as part of its program to deploy very high-speed broadband in the country.

In response, the telco revealed that it will deploy fiber in all large and medium-sized towns and cities by 2015, with 15 cities already covered.

However rural areas will have to make do with interim technologies including fiber to the curb or satellite, as France Telecom stated plans for full fiber would depend on application of the regulatory framework outside very dense areas, an apparent swipe at ARCEP rules covering shared networks.

According to Chief St©phane Richard, the fiber plans were ambitious, but noted they would help the carrier consolidate its position in its domestic market, and maximize the growth potential that this network can offer for the years to come.

The telco is currently pursuing a strategy of aggregating and distributing content, recently striking teaming with broadcaster Canal+ and acquiring online video firm Dailymotion.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Arcep • broadcaster • Canal+ • Chief StÃ©phane Richard • co-investment • Dailymotion • fiber operators • France • France Telecom • high speed broadband • Mobile • online video firm

Arcep expands 3G in GSM Spectrum (France)

On 02.01.11, In Mobile, By Editor

The French telecoms regulator, ARCEP has published preliminary plans to allow the French overseas departments and territories to reuse their GSM radio spectrum for 3G services. The affected countries are Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana and Reunion.

ARCEP has received seven responses to a public consultation on the proposals which it held last year and have helped to confirm the soundness of the suggested scheme to govern reuse of the 900 MHz band for UMTS.

The Authority has established guidelines that define the framework for processing requests for frequency licences, as well as requests for changes to existing licences coming from mobile operators in the overseas markets.

This framework includes the ability to use the 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2.1 GHz bands for UMTS, along with specific terms applying to their reuse that have been tailored to the particular situation in each department or collectivity.

On the matter of assigning new frequency bands to mobile and ultra high-speed mobile services in the overseas territories, work on the issue could begin in 2012 depending on the requests made by stakeholders. The terms set for allocating the 800 MHz band will take into consideration the state of competition in the overseas departments and territories.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: 3G • Arcep • France • French Guiana • GSM Spectrum • Guadeloupe • Martinique • Mobile • Reunion • UMTS

France approves LTE trial in the 800 MHz Band

On 12.06.10, In Mobile, By Editor

Arcep, the French telecoms regulator has awarded temporary authorizations to the mobile networks who want to carry out LTE trials in the 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz bands in preparation for radio spectrum auctions. The spectrum is expected to be awarded to the winning bidders in the first half of 2011 following an auction process.

Accordingly, several dozen trials in the 2.6 GHz band have already been authorized, or will have been by the start of December.

In addition, Arcep has issued the first temporary authorization for a trial in the 800 MHz band on 16 November 2010, and is a processing further request concerning this band.

According to Arcep’s earlier release, it will continue to issue temporary authorizations while also guaranteeing that candidates who apply for long-term licenses in the 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz bands will have complete details on all the authorized trials, before the deadline set for submitting their application.

As concerns the 800 MHz band, because of the timetable that has been set, Arcep is willing to examine all requests to conduct trials submitted before 15 January 2011.

Meanwhile, the deadline for requests to perform trials using the frequencies in the TDD portion (2570-2620 MHz) of the 2.6 GHz band, which will be allocated after 2.6 GHz-band FDD (2500-2570/2620-2690 MHz) and 800 MHz spectrum, has been extended by several months.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: 2.6 GHz-band FDD • 800 MHz Band • Arcep • France • French telecoms regulator • LTE • Mobile • TDD portion

Iliad working on alternatives for 3G roaming contract

On 12.02.10, In Mobile, By Editor

Chief Executive Maxime Lombardini has stated that French Internet Company Iliad SA is seeking alternative options for 3G mobile roaming, if it fails to reach a data roaming agreement with a competitor.

The Paris-based company sells broadband, Internet, telephony and TV services in France and is preparing to launch mobile services in 2012 after it was awarded France’s fourth 3G mobile license earlier this year. But a 3G roaming deal with a rival is essential to achieve this, as the company’s own network won’t cover the whole country by 2012.

According to Lombardini, they have had no proposal from the three operators so far. If an agreement isn’t forthcoming then Iliad has two alternative options but for the time being they still hope they will see sense. The company could either lodge an anti-trust complaint with France’s competition commission or approach the telecoms regulator ARCEP.

Bigger telecoms rivals France Telecom, Vivendi’s SFR, and Bouygues SA’s Bouygues Telecom have so far been reluctant to negotiate a deal with Iliad.

Lombardini argued that a 3G roaming contract with Iliad would be a big contract with a big margin for competitors and a good way to compensate the loss of market share due to a fourth operator.

As per him, prices were already declining before Iliad entered the mobile market purely on the idea a fourth player will come. Iliad had 4.52 million subscribers for its triple-play services of TV, fixed-line telephone and Internet at the end of September.

Lombardini declined to comment on how the fourth quarter was progressing, or give details of a new product planned by the company. There will be this new innovation that we consider is a revolution, they are confident it will give them more market share.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: 3G roaming • Arcep • Broadband • Chief Executive Maxime Lombardini • France • French Internet Company • Iliad • internet • Mobile • Paris • telephony • TV service