France’s competition watchdog has opened an investigation into Numericable-SFR’s fibre network rollout following a complaint from project partner but retail rival Bouygues Telecom.
The Autorité de la concurrence said it will review the conditions under which Numericable-SFR is complying with its commitments to fibre rollout.
Specifically, the investigation relates to an agreement between Numericable-SFR – or simply SFR, as it was then – and Bouygues Telecom in 2010, under the terms of which the pair are jointly investing in fibre infrastructure in certain densely populated areas. Numericable-SFR is responsible for the physical deployment of the infrastructure while Bouygues is contributing financially.
The deal was signed prior to Altice’s acquisition of SFR and the mobile operator’s subsequent merger with Numericable.
Bouygues Telecom asserts that since the merger the pace of rollout has slowed to such an extent that the project will not be completed on time.
The competition body gave the go-ahead to the merger at the end of October last year, on the proviso that Numericable-SFR agreed to certain commitments with regard to the fibre project.
"According to Bouygues Telecom, the pace of connections that were actually achieved since 30 October 2014 has significantly slowed down – to such an extent that the compliance with commitments is threatened," the Autorité said, in a statement.
