The Grand Duchy's telecoms gendarme has just issued its call for tenders for the award of 5G frequencies in the 700 MHz and 3.5 GHz bands for a total amount of 41.3 million euros.

The operators Orange Luxembourg and Post have both been granted 130 MHz of frequencies in these two bands. For its part, the operator Proximus has also been offered 120 MHz of frequencies in these two bands, while the operator Luxembourg Online will have 10 MHz of frequencies at its disposal. Finally, Eltrona participated in the auction but did not win any spectrum.

The licences distributed will thus be valid for a period of 15 years, renewable at least once for a period of five years. They will be subject to coverage obligations aimed at ensuring the availability of 5G in the municipality of Luxembourg by the end of 2020 and throughout the country by 2025 at the latest.

Orange, which has a strong presence in Luxembourg, welcomed the significant 110 MHz of spectrum in the 3.5 Ghz band. "We have obtained 110 MHz in the 3.5 GHz band, which is the maximum. This will enable us to provide our customers with the highest capacity to use or imagine the services of tomorrow", said Corinne Lozé, CEO of Orange Luxembourg.

In France, the call for tenders for the allocation of 5G frequency blocks in the 3.5 GHz band will be held between 20 and 30 September under the aegis of Arcep. The end of the procedure should make it possible to allocate the remaining 110 MHz of frequencies to each of the four competing operators.

This auction phase will be followed in October by an additional phase during which the operators will again be able to bid to the highest bidder to determine their positioning in the 3.5 GHz band. The allocation of frequencies in the 3.5 GHz band alone should bring in a minimum of €2.17 billion for the French authorities.

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Source : ZDNet

The 5GMED project, led by the European Commission in the framework of the H2020 programme, should provide a model of sustainable 5G deployment for future mobility on the Mediterranean corridor between France and Spain.

The services tested rely on a wide range of technologies in addition to 5G, such as cloud/edge computing and artificial intelligence, to provide advanced connectivity services on transport routes.

Through 4 pilot projects on the railway line and motorway between Figueras and Perpignan, 5GMed will develop cross-border 5G application scenarios, advanced services for connected and automated cooperative mobility (CCAM) and future rail mobile communication systems (FRMCS).

With a budget of €16 million, 75% financed by the European Commission, the project will be launched in September 2020 for completion by November 2023.

The infrastructure will thus enable four use cases: remote automated driving, advanced traffic management, continuity of commercial rail services at border crossings and infotainment with augmented reality for autonomous vehicles and rail.

Initially tested on three small-scale sites, the final integration and validation of the use cases will then be carried out on the cross-border section between Figueras and Perpignan.

Led by Cellnex Telecom, the consortium brings together 21 members from 7 countries representing the telecommunications sector, the transport and mobility sector, technology and solution providers, consulting service providers, research institutions and organisations in favour of mobile and digital transformation.

The Mediterranean Corridor is an essential axis for the competitiveness of the companies and territories of the great European south-west. It is also a strategic corridor for France which is of interest for freight traffic to Northern Europe, Spain, Italy and Central Europe. This route will also contribute to the new Silk Road rail link between Europe and China.  

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Source : IT Social

Rezopole will meet you on September 24th for a videoconference dedicated to the improvement of BtoB Internet exchanges thanks to LyonIX and GrenobliX infrastructures.

Details will be detailed during this videoconference:
- the IXP part, which improves Internet exchanges between users in a territory, reduces telecom costs, and secures and optimizes the network thanks to the multiple routes offered.
- the NAP part, which provides connected members with direct access to the operators present and their offers. We buy or sell any type of Telecom service with great flexibility.

On the agenda

• General presentation of Rezopole
• What is an IXP/NAP?
  • How does it work?
  • Economic & technical advantages
• LyonIX & GrenoblIX infrastructures
  • Rezopole members
  • Offers & services
  • Connection solutions
• Rezopole Events & Tools
• Questions & Answers

Useful information

• Schedule from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m.
• Link of the videoconference sent by email a few days before the event

 Register

Ielo, which specialises in fibre networks for the wholesale market for corporate operators, has announced that it has raised funds to invest 160 million euros over five years in order to become the number three player in this market.

Although the amount of the fund-raising has not been specified, it is accompanied by the entry of a new shareholder into the group's capital: DIF Capital Partners, a European infrastructure fund.

The chairman and co-founder of Ielo, Arthur Fernandez, told AFP: "We are already going to commit 90 million euros over the next two years in order to develop our network. We are now present in all 30 metropolitan areas, and our aim is to extend our network to all prefectures within the next five years."

The objective is to become the third largest player in the wholesale market for business operators, behind the two giants Orange and SFR. "It is a highly fragmented market behind the two main players, with players that do not only wholesale. Our aim is to meet an expectation in this market, by emphasizing our neutrality and total control of our infrastructures, with our own tools. We will not compete with our customers", added Mr. Fernandez.

With 90 employees and a turnover of 13.5 million euros in 2019, the operator expects to remain on a strong growth dynamic for the current year despite the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

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Source : Le Figaro

The social network has just announced that it has developed a robot capable of winding optical fiber on medium-voltage power lines, in partnership with ULC Robotics. The cost would thus be three to five times lower than the traditional aerial construction operated by the players in the sector.

Karthik Yogeeswaran, wireless systems engineer at Facebook Connectivity, believes that the complexity of fiber deployment is hindering the global adoption of ultra high-speed broadband. So this innovation could make a big difference in a large part of the developing world, but also in countries with very large territories.

"The idea of using electricity infrastructure first came to us after seeing the ubiquitous power grid infrastructure as we travelled through rural Africa. ...with its long transmission lines usually suspended from high lattice towers, power transmission networks perform a function similar to that of an internet backbone, connecting generation sites to substations."

Facebook's innovation is expected to prove decisive as it will reduce the manual deployment of optical fibre on medium-voltage lines. The robot is capable of continuing the deployment on live lines while overcoming the obstacles it encounters in order to minimize disruptions to electrical services.

However, the robot must be light enough to be supported by these medium voltage lines. The amount of optical fiber that it can carry with it is therefore limited. To get around this difficulty, Facebook has modified the size of the cable used.

"While traditional aerial fiber deployment involves heavy machinery, coil carts, large coils and large teams, a fiber deployment team deploying our solution will consist of two or three power line installers and a van with a few kilometers of fiber coils, a robot and a few accessories, which will allow many teams to work in parallel", says Karthik Yogeeswaran.

In developing countries, Facebook estimates that the total cost of deploying a very high-speed network, including the labour needed to operate the robot, would be between 2 and 3 dollars per metre. The US giant explains that "by reducing the total cost of aerial deployment of the fibre, we hope our system will have a significant impact on Internet penetration, especially in the half of the world that earns less than $5.50 a day",

While this innovation should not be used in France, it should help to improve the adoption of very high speed broadband in many parts of the world.

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Source : ZDNet

The French National Digital Council (CNNum) has just published 50 measures for "a national and European agenda on responsible digital". The objective is to place digital technology at the service of the ecological and solidarity transition.

In this roadmap on the environment and digital, measure 7 aims to limit the environmental footprint of the deployment of digital networks and infrastructures. The CNNum intends to "encourage packages with limited consumption, including on fixed lines".

The ambition of this measure is thus to put in place "more sober" network and infrastructure design methodologies in order to adapt traffic to the "real needs of the user".

But will such limitations really be accepted by Internet users and Internet service providers? Unlimited access has become commonplace and it seems difficult to turn back the clock...

Last June, the Senate proposed banning unlimited data plans to reduce France's carbon footprint. This measure is also controversial.

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Source : Le Journal du Geek

The United Kingdom confirms its change of position vis-à-vis the Chinese equipment manufacturer Huawei with a total exclusion of its infrastructures. By the end of next year, operators will no longer be able to purchase Huawei equipment. They will also have to take the necessary measures to remove all equipment from their networks, both new and old, before 2027.

This decision is likely to have an impact on the pace of 5G deployment in the country. A delay estimated at three years at a cost of £2 billion.

A change of course justified by national security and the preservation of the economy, even if serious tensions are expected with China in the coming months.

A spokesman for Huawei logically referred to a disappointing decision. The telecom equipment manufacturer assures that the restrictions imposed on its activity by the United States are not insurmountable obstacles and calls on the British government to reconsider its position.

The United Kingdom, as a member of Five Eyes, is particularly sensitive to the threats agitated by the USA and the pressures calling into question these privileged exchanges between countries.

It is also a reaction to the recent events which have seen China trying to regain control of Hong Kong despite months of demonstrations.

On the operators' side, we are blaming the blow. It will take them about five years to remove Huawei equipment from their networks.  

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Source : GNT

France would have gained 1.9 million subscribers and 3.5 million households connected to FttH or FttB in 2019. According to the think tank Idate, which carries out an annual study for the Council of Europe on FttH, this would be the strongest growth in Europe.

These good results are due to the determination of the France Très Haut Débit Plan, which aims to reach 100% of households with access to very high-speed broadband by the end of 2022.

A total of 57.1% of French subscribers were eligible for FttH or FttB in 2019. This is more than in Germany or the United Kingdom but less than in Italy, Spain, Norway and Lithuania.

France now ranks 16ᵉ in the European rankings for fibre subscriptions, with just over 25% of subscribers subscribing to FttH or FttB.

However, the figures for France do not really agree with those of Arcep. The regulatory authority only takes FttH into account when talking about optical fiber. In 2019, it counted 4.8 million additional premises connected and 2.3 million FttH subscriptions.

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Source : 01Net

The full rollout of very high speed broadband via fibre optic cable in Brittany is scheduled for 2026. However, in addition to the containment and health crisis, the RIP Mégalis Bretagne is also facing delays accumulated by its partners: the Suez Safege subsidiary, Axione, Artelia/Orange and Snef. Phase 2 is due to be completed by the end of 2022, while phase 1 of the project is already two years behind schedule.

The Syndicat Mixte, representing 1,233 communes in Brittany, has therefore just imposed its first penalties for a total estimated amount of 600,000 euros. For its part, Megalis Bretagne should release eight million euros of additional credits in 2020.

Axione, the Bouygues subsidiary, has announced the creation of 350 additional jobs to complete the project, which is due to be completed by 2026. In view of the delays in Côtes-d'Armor and Ille-et-Vilaine, the joint venture has just launched a new call for tenders to select construction companies that are "fully operational" by 1 January 2021, covering 15,000 sockets to be built.

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Source : ZDNet

Despite the deployment delays caused by the health crisis, the government assures that the coverage targets of the New Deal Mobile will be met. This is in any case what the Minister for Territorial Cohesion, Julien de Normandie, assured in an interview with Les Echos.

All French people must have access to 4G before the end of 2020, this is the government's promise and the objective of the New Mobile Deal signed in January 2018 with the operators and the Arcep.

In particular, the scheme provided for the shared deployment of new towers between operators in order to eliminate white zones. Julien Denormandie declared on this subject: "Of the 485 sites of the targeted coverage system expected at the end of June, 340 are already operational. Dozens of others have been erected and are just waiting for an electrical connection. By the end of September, we will be back to normal". A further 600 new pylons are to be erected before 31 December.

The agreement also provided for the switch from 2G and 3G sites to 4G. According to the Minister for Territorial Cohesion, 10,000 new municipalities will be affected in the last quarter.

However, the capacity of these mobile networks will still need to be increased to achieve true quality of service. This is why the targeted coverage scheme will continue until 2025 with 700 to 800 new sites each year.

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Source : 01Net

On 26 June, Bouygues Telecom announced that it had "signed an exclusive agreement with Euro-Information, a Crédit Mutuel group company, with a view to acquiring 100% of the capital of its subsidiary Euro-Information Telecom (EIT) and entering into an exclusive distribution partnership". Little known to the general public, this operator markets its packages under the Crédit Mutuel Mobile, CIC Mobile, NRJ Mobile, Auchan Telecom or Cdiscount Mobile brands. Existing since 2015, it has its own core network and agreements as a virtual operator with Bouygues Telecom, Orange and SFR.

An agreement that "is fully in line with Bouygues Telecom's growth strategy". EIT is France's leading alternative operator with a distribution network of "more than 4,200 Crédit Mutuel local branches and CIC bank branches, 30,000 customer advisers" and a customer service team of more than 550 people.

As a reminder, Bouygues Telecom claimed a fleet of mobile rate plans excluding MtoM of "11.7 million customers at the end of March 2020" while Euro-Information Telecom announced that it had passed the "2 million customer mark" at the end of November 2019. A purchase that could therefore enable Bouygues Telecom to come back neck and neck with Free Mobile and its 13.3 million subscribers.

It is also specified in the press release that "the acquisition price includes a fixed portion of 530 million euros payable at closing and an additional portion of between 140 and 325 million euros, subject to the achievement of economic performance criteria and payable over several years".

Subject to the agreement of the competent authorities, the operation should be finalised by the end of 2020.

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Source : Nextinpact

Submitted to Parliament and presented on 25 June at an online press conference, this new edition of the report on the state of the Internet in France sets out the key developments in the various components of the fixed and mobile Internet networks for 2019.

The aim is to ensure, through regulation, that the Internet continues to develop as a common good in which the user is the ultimate arbiter.

An entire chapter is devoted, for the first time, to the issue of the environmental impact of digital technology. A first step towards a "green barometer" that Arcep wishes to set up to make available to the public the most relevant data on the environmental footprint of networks, terminals and uses.

Although this is a report on 2019, the Arcep also details its observations and the first lessons learnt from the period of the health crisis and the spring 2020 containment, which had a strong impact on network uses.

Other issues such as quality of service, data interconnection, the transition to IPv6, net neutrality, the opening of terminals and the role of platforms are also addressed in this report. 

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Source : Arcep

For 18 months now, the Association of Local Authorities for Digital Technology Avicca, the federation of industrialists InfraNum and the France THD Mission have been working on the overhaul of the Grace THD data exchange format. A revised and corrected "v3" that will become the future standard for public fibre optic networks.

The promises of Grace THD V3: "the harmonisation and standardisation of data exchange practices between private and public players" are one of the conditions for "industrialising deployments". In order to meet the objectives of the France THD Plan, the ambition is to return as soon as possible to 2019 production rates.

This common frame of reference also aims at enabling local authorities to constitute a reliable and exploitable base for their public initiative networks.

A recommendation of the France THD Plan, accompanied by an application guide, will help promote the adoption of this model. Thus, "the France THD Mission recommends to all local authorities to migrate to GraceTHD v3" in the operational phase. While in the deployment phase, "the migration will be decided by the local authority under the aegis of the MTHD, after consultation with the local and national private stakeholders concerned".

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Source : DegroupNews

During the Covid19 crisis, digital technology demonstrated its full potential by enabling us to continue some of our daily activities but also to provide better patient care.

However, companies in the sector are no less impacted by the crisis: 1 in 2 company managers are faced with requests for price renegotiations from their customers.

Questioned in the Syntec Numérique barometer, 80% of company directors anticipate an average drop in their forecast turnover of almost 20% over the second quarter of 2020. This estimate can be explained by the decrease in order intake forecasts from April to June 2020, which concerns 96% of respondents.

In an open letter also signed by TECH IN France, France Fintech and the Alliance Industrie du Futur, Syntec Numérique calls for massive investment by public authorities in the technologies and industry of the future (industrial internet, AI, 5G, robotisation...).

With the aim of accelerating the digitisation of the State and local authorities, these major technological projects are part of public procurement. The digital transformation of companies, and more particularly in industry, will require a massive effort to support productive investment. But also to place greater emphasis on education and training in these new methods and technologies.

A plan to better digitalise health, public services, administrations, schools and businesses while providing technical solutions to societal and environmental challenges.

The survey conducted by Syntec Numérique was sent online from 20 May to 1 June 2020 with 166 respondents. A panel of respondents including all professions and all sizes of companies. The distribution of the sample corresponds to the orders of magnitude of the digital sector represented by the union.

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Source : Datacenter Magazine

Another thorn in the side of the digital infrastructure sector is customers' end connections to fibre optic cable. Indeed, there is growing discontent with the disruptions observed in the sharing points and the threat they pose to the sustainability of networks. Called upon to intervene more frankly, the Arcep is finally taking matters into its own hands to do something about the "noodle dishes".

At the Telconomics conference on 16th June, the Regulatory Authority said it was "extremely concerned" by the multiplication of these aberrations. To remedy this, the telecoms regulator has therefore published a "first roadmap" drawn up in consultation with the players in the sector. The objective is to give infrastructure operators the possibility to better control interventions on their networks. They will thus be able to report, or even deregister, unscrupulous subcontractors mandated by commercial operators.

Sébastien Soriano, President of the Authority, explains that the aim is to "prevent a few black sheep from destroying the highly professional work of most of the other subcontractors". A first step that will not settle all the questions, such as those of recruitment, the pricing of these interventions, or the differences in connection technologies between infrastructure operators and access providers.

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Source : DegroupNews