In the space of four months, fiber optic deployment has made rapid progress in the sparsely populated areas of the Val de Loire (Indre-et-Loire and Loir-et-Cher). Since the start of work by TDF and its subsidiary Val de Loire Fibre, the thirty optical connection nodes (NROs) scheduled for 2018 and eighty street cabinets have been installed. Seven kilometers of civil engineering and twenty-three kilometers of cable have also been installed.
These shared facilities are essential for connecting homes and businesses to fiber. The first homes and businesses will be connected in spring 2019. Work will continue until 2022.
In the Loire Valley, more than 300 professionals - workers, technicians, engineers and administrative staff - carry out technical studies, manage construction companies and negotiate the agreements and plots of land required for fiber deployment.
To carry out the network work, TDF is calling on local companies such as Epsys, Sobeca, Sogetrel and Axians. For the distribution network - the "terminal" part of the network up to the socket - nine companies, most of them local or in the process of being set up in the area, have already been selected. They will carry out the necessary preliminary studies and build the network (laying overhead or underground cables and installing the optical connection points to which subscribers will be connected).
Val de Loire Fibre, a company rooted in the region
The Val de Loire Fibre project company, a subsidiary of TDF and Banque des Territoires, was formed in January 2018 to deploy, operate and market the Val de Loire fiber optic network under a public service delegation. Dedicated teams have been set up and are now fully staffed, in premises set up in Saint-Avertin and Blois.
Through its subsidiary Val de Loire Fibre, TDF is developing employment in the Loir-et-Cher and Indre-et-Loire regions.
TDF and Banque des Territoires, partners for digital coverage
In September 2018, Banque des Territoires acquired a 30% stake in the Val de Loire Fibre project company. The aim of this investment is to support the rollout of very high-speed broadband (VHS) in low-density areas of Indre-et-Loire and Loir-et-Cher.
Fibre optic cable, a structuring project for the Loire Valley
Between now and 2022, the project will see the installation of 306,000 connections to provide residents and businesses in 513 communes with ultra-high-speed Internet access. Deployment of the fiber will deliver a faster, more reliable Internet connection, with speeds of up to one Gigabit per second. The Val de Loire Fibre project company is responsible for deploying and operating the fiber optic network in low-density areas of Loir-et-Cher and Indre-et-Loire. TDF is committed to digital development, serving local authorities, businesses and residents alike.
The arrival of fiber to the home in rural areas is designed to boost the region's economic attractiveness and contribute to the development of new activities in the fields of health, education, the environment and more.