This Friday, December 10, Cédric O, the French Secretary of State for Digital Transition and Electronic Communications, is in Coulommiers-la-Tour (Loir-et-Cher) to officialize the 110,000th marketable fiber optic outlet in the Loire Valley, deployed by Val de Loire Fibre, a subsidiary of TDF.
Benoît Mérel, Chief Operating Officer of the TDF Group, Cyril Gasc, Managing Director of TDF's Fiber BU and Bernard Pillefer, President of Val de Loire Numérique celebrate this achievement in the presence of François Bonneau, President of the Centre-Val de Loire Region, Philippe Gouet, President of the Loir-et-Cher Departmental Council and Jean-Gérard Paumier, President of the Indre-et-Loire Departmental Council.
The network deployed by Val de Loire Fibre, a subsidiary of TDF, now provides 110,000 homes and businesses in Indre-et-Loire and Loir-et-Cher with very-high-speed broadband access. One third of the network has now been completed.
This event marks a major step forward in the ongoing rollout of fiber optics in the Loire Valley. By 2023, the fiber optic network will serve 320,000 homes and businesses in 513 communes.
Connection requests are pouring in
In terms of connections, demand from eligible individuals and businesses is strong. Between 1,000 and 1,200 connections are sold every week. Proof of the network's success and the public's expectations, more than 25,000 homes and businesses have now been connected to fiber optics, out of a total of 110,000 marketable outlets.
Val de Loire Fibre is deploying an open and neutral Public Initiative Network, enabling all operators and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to offer competitive and diversified Internet services. Eleven ISPs are currently available for residential customers, and twenty-six for businesses.
Fiber optics brings quality of use to the Internet: telecommuting, online gaming, video on demand, etc. For businesses, fiber opens up new economic opportunities.
Cédric O, Secretary of State for Digital Transition and Electronic Communications, comments: "With around 27 million outlets, nearly 65% of premises in France can now be connected to fiber optics. We are the European country with the best fiber coverage, and the one that is deploying the highest number of outlets: an average of almost 20,000 per day over the last six months. This is an extraordinary industrial effort on the part of the French government, local authorities and private operators, as demonstrated by the very positive progress of the RIP in Indre-et-Loire and Loir-et-Cher.
Benoît Mérel, Chief Operating Officer of TDF, comments: "The Covid-19 pandemic highlights the importance of digital communication tools, and the need for rural communities to have access to them. I'm delighted to be partnering with the Val de Loire to bring this major project to fruition, which will have a decisive impact on the region's individuals and businesses.
Jean-Philippe Martignac, Managing Director of Val de Loire Fibre, comments: "With this latest milestone, fiber optics are becoming a reality for the people of Val de Loire, who are eager to connect. We're delighted. At the same time, deployment continues, and our teams are keeping up the pace.
Bernard Pillefer, Chairman of Val de Loire Numérique, comments: "With more than 80,000 outlets built over the course of the year, an average of 1,500 outlets built every week, 2021 was a real takeoff for the public-initiative network entrusted to Val de Loire Fibre, and makes the goal of completing deployment by 2023 both credible and realistic. I'm delighted with these results, and with the symbolic and highly significant milestone of 110,000 outlets reached today.