Recurring breakdowns, wild disconnections, hasty connections, damage to technical cabinets, etc. The quality of service of fiber optic networks is regularly singled out by local authorities but especially by subscribers, exasperated by these serial bugs which are ruining their daily lives.
Since July 2023, Arcep has set up an observatory to assess the impact of the work undertaken by operators to improve the quality of their fiber optic networks. To do this, the regulatory authority for the telecoms sector takes into account two indicators: the rate of breakdowns and the rate of connection failures.
Good news, the fourth edition of this observatory notes an improvement in the results over a large part of the territory which remain “ to be confirmed over time », Specifies Arcep. The rate of breakdowns has decreased, including on degraded networks which are the subject of a plan to restore the concentration points.
The networks taken over by Altitude and Altice singled out
If we zoom in on the networks with the highest failure rates, causing temporary unavailability of internet access or telephony, we find in the top 10 the networks taken over in 2020 and 2021 by Altitude and Altice via its operator. XpFibre infrastructure (formerly SFR FFTH).
These are mainly networks located in Ile-de-France with Sequantic Telecom, Tutor Europ'Essonne, Seine Essonne THD, Tutor Nancy for Altitude, and XpFibre Seine Saint-Denis, XpFibre Val d'Oise, XpFibre Seine-Maritime, XpFibre Yvelines and Valofibre for Altice. However, progress is notable. Their breakdown rate has not fallen, in one year, from more than 5% for the first two networks mentioned to less than 2%.
Regarding the connection failure rate, Arcep measures the number of fiber optic connection attempts initiated during the month in question which ended in failure. attributable to the infrastructure operator according to the commercial operator. »
On this indicator, “the situation is more contrasted between the different networks considered “. As with the outage rates, an improving trend is visible on the networks acquired by Altitude and Altice. We nevertheless find in the top 10 the Ile-de-France networks previously mentioned, to which are added the Norman ZP XpFibre Eure and Tutor Calvados or the southern Tarn Fibre.
Outage rate by network
An improvement to be confirmed over time
Arcep justifies these positive developments by the work undertaken by infrastructure operators and commercial operators to improve the quality of their fiber optic networks. Both parties are committed to better coordination on the ground to avoid everyone passing the buck.
The operators' action plan also covers the certification of subcontractors or the training of technicians working on site or the taking of before/after photos. They are also increasingly using artificial intelligence to guarantee the compliance of their fiber connections.
However, Arcep would like to point out that “the evolution of the indicators will have to be assessed over the long term and that it still appears premature today to conclude as to the effectiveness of the work implemented. »
The “punch” operation in Essonne launched by local operators thus gives a mixed result. The intercommunal union noted “a clear improvement in quality on the network “, more ” This impact was unfortunately not lasting.”
