The Brive agglomeration in Corrèze declares to Arsep and the government that they have violated the contract that binds them to Orange. Reason? Delays in laying fiber in its territory, including the sub-prefecture of Corrèze and 47 nearby municipalities.
The community of 80,000 people is also seeking financial sanctions against the operator.
“Orange has been marking time for ten years. We are asking the state to declare the operator in default,” Frederic Soulier (LR), president of the agglomeration and mayor of Brive, tells AFP.
A broken promise, according to an elected Brivist official
This would allow the elected representative to release himself from contractual obligations towards the incumbent operator. In 2010, Orange announced that it intended to install fiber “by 2020” in all 14 of its assigned municipalities. Two years after the expiration of the term, 12% of the population of this territory still does not have access to optical fiber, Frédéric Soulier regrets.
According to the mayor of Brive, Dorsal, a local mixed union specializing in digital technology, made it possible “in less than two years” to fully equip the remaining 34, mostly rural municipalities in the area.
The agglomeration is also asking the government to apply fines of up to 25 million euros to Orange for “failure to fulfill obligations.” The amount to be used “to pay Dorsal for network upgrades”.
The French authorities have announced their goal: by 2025 the country will be fully equipped with fiber optics.