Today, Monday June 3, 2024, Sylvie Giner, President of Val de Loire Numérique, Nadège Arnault, President of the Conseil départemental d'Indre-et-Loire, Philippe Gouet, President of the Conseil départemental de Loir-et-Cher, François Bonneau, President of the Région Centre - Val de Loire, Gaël Serandour, Deputy Director of Digital Investments, Caisse des Dépôts Group, Olivier Huart, Chairman and CEO of TDF, Cyril Gasc, Managing Director of TDF Fibre and Jean-Philippe Martignac Managing Director of Val de Loire Fibre celebrate the completion of the Val de Loire Fibre network in Monts, at the Domaine de Candé.
With 325,000 fiber optic connections built, the rollout of fiber optics is nearing completion in the least densely urbanized areas of Indre-et-Loire and Loir-et-Cher, i.e. in the 513 communes and delegated communes within the Val de Loire Fibre public-initiative network.
A structuring project for both territories
Born of the contract signed in December 2017 between the Val de Loire Numérique mixed syndicate and TDF, the Val de Loire Fibre network comprises 96 optical connection nodes and 876 mutualization points, essential for serving all the sparsely populated areas of the two départements of Indre-et-Loire and Loir-et-Cher. This represents an investment of over 550 million euros.
To bring this structuring project to fruition, more than 260,000 hours of integration and 140,000 hours of training were carried out, a volume almost twice as high as Val de Loire Fibre's initial commitment. These actions led to the creation of 87 local jobs.
On the environmental front, from 2022 onwards, an innovative, environmentally-friendly solution called Greenpose will be used to create the trenches needed to bury the fiber optic cables. This technology considerably reduces the company's carbon footprint.
Val de Loire Fibre's fiber optic network is recognized as one of the most reliable and best-performing FTTH networks, according to indicators published by ARCEP (February 2024 study).
A network favored by the public and businesses alike
On the connection front, demand from eligible individuals and businesses is growing. To date, 162,000 homes and businesses have already chosen to connect and subscribe to ultra-high-speed broadband, representing a penetration rate of 49.8%. This figure is rising steadily, and should approach 100% by the end of 2030, when the historic copper network will be completely dismantled.
Fiber optics provide a high-performance, multi-purpose Internet connection for teleworking, online gaming, video-on-demand, etc. For businesses, fiber opens up new economic opportunities.
Sylvie Giner, President of the Syndicat Mixte Ouvert (SMO) Val de Loire Numérique, comments: "On behalf of the member local authorities of Val de Loire Numérique, I would like to express my pride in having launched and supported this structuring project for the Indre-et-Loire and Loir-et-Cher départements, alongside Bernard Pillefer, with confidence and high standards. The challenge was to provide a high-performance digital service at an affordable price, whether you live in a rural or urban environment, to serve an ever-increasing number of broadband-hungry applications. And this objective has been achieved, although our project does not stop there. The service delegation covers the operation, maintenance and marketing of the network. From now on, I'll be paying close attention to ensuring that the quality of the service offered is maintained at its current level, over the long term. I'm also very keen to ensure that all eligible households and businesses, however isolated, who wish to subscribe can do so quickly. A small number of homes and businesses still have to wait far too long between subscribing and actually being connected. We are doing everything we can with Val de Loire Fibre to resolve this problem as quickly as possible.
Olivier Huart, Chairman and CEO of TDF, comments: "With 325,000 eligible connections, I am delighted that residents and businesses in the Loir-et-Cher and Indre-et-Loire départements now have access to fiber. Very high-speed broadband has been eagerly awaited and has become an indispensable service, particularly as the historic copper network enters its final years. With this network, we are proud to contribute to the dynamism and attractiveness of these magnificent territories. The success of this project is the fruit of the hard work and mobilization of all the teams and players involved, whom I congratulate and thank.