Paris (AFP)
The Orange group expects that the "copper" network for fixed telephony will be completely replaced by a fiber optic network in 2030, according to the 2025 strategic plan of the telecom operator published Wednesday.
"After a first phase of experimentation, the decommissioning of copper will start in 2023 and should end in 2030," said Orange in the press release presenting its strategic plan.
The end of the copper wire drawn to the subscriber, who carry the telephony since its origin 150 years ago, "will be very progressive, so as to accompany the transition of all subscribers of the network in the transition to fiber optics, "said Orange.
"It's not about closing the fixed", but to "pass the fixed copper to the fiber," said in front of journalists the CEO of Orange Stéphane Richard.
"This transition will be made in particular by taking extreme care of all of our copper customers" today, he said.
Orange presents Wednesday morning its strategic plan until 2025.
Since November 2018, the group no longer offers in-store offers of fixed telephony to the old (analog), offering instead an offer based on the protocol IP (internet protocol) that can easily switch to fiber.
Customers who still benefit from a copper analogue offer will be able to keep it at a minimum until 2023, when the transition to all-fiber begins.
© 2019 AFP