4G coverage in sparsely populated areas: Arcep monitors 2 operators in particular

ARCEP is a bit like the policeman of
telephone operators in France. The organization dictates deployment plans
to follow in the territory and regularly checks, through surveys and
reports, thateverything is respected.

Recently, in order to follow the deployment of mobile operators in
low density areas(villages and countryside), ARCEP has implemented
specifically places aobservatory of mobile deployments in these
areas there. This new tool has just given its first
recommendations and two operators are under surveillance!

All this fits into the plans established at the end of last year and in

beginning of this year, concerning the mandatory 4G coverage of areas
sparsely populated in France. Thus, by January 2017,40% of
these areas must be coveredby operators holding
frequencies in the 800 MHz band (Orange, Bouygues Telecom and SFR). Free, don't
not having this type of frequency is required to cover50% of the
same population by January 2022and 700 MHz bands.

But at the time of the accounts, the gaps widened.

While Orange announced to be at 33% on January 1, 2016,Bouygues
only reached 12% and SFR 8%. Roge alert for these two operators
who will therefore have to work extra hard to keep their commitments.

Quarterly reports on the progress of the hedging program produced
followingregular checks on the groundwill be
now published, so that as many users as possible can have access to
significant mobile speeds.

Source

Editor-in-chief for iPhon.fr. Pierre is like Indiana Jones, looking for the lost iOS trick. Also a long-time Mac user, Apple devices hold no secrets for him. Contact: pierre[a]iphon.fr.