TechJournal

The French parliament voted on a proposal that sought to require ethernet wires to be installed in all new apartment buildings to be built.  "The government will seek to make fiber-optic cabling a requirement for all construction projects of 25 or more apartments," said Luc Chatel, a government spokesman.

The proposed law should allow all network operators access to buildings, Chatel said. Operators should agree among themselves whether and how to share local neighborhood switching nodes, and the government will leave it to French telecommunications regulator Arcep to deal with competition issues that go beyond building access, Chatel said.

"By 2010 we want all buildings of more than 25 apartments to be automatically pre-cabled," Chatel said. "It will be part of the requirements in construction projects."   Construction of new fiber-to-the-home networks in France represented an investment of €10 billion, or $15.8 billion, over a 10-year period.

There is also a consideration that the French Government will auction off France's fourth third generation mobile phone license.  Moreover, the payment for this license may also be delayed so as to build a stronger and more accessible broadband network. 

All this was to give fast broadband internet a push on the back. The proposal's details will be debated over by parliament this coming summer.

Would you like to comment?
Join tj.com , or sign in if you are already a member
.