Fibre Optic Network

The fibre optic network delivers much higher speeds than xDSL technology and can carry data over very long distances with no signal attenuation even in bad weather conditions, which will ensure consistently high quality superfast broadband. Now it is possible to reach data speeds of 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps. Upload and download speeds can even reach 10 Gbps.

Orange uses two types of Optical Local Loops running from the end customer’s Optical End Point to Orange’s Optical Connection Node (OCN), grouping together the optical accesses of the area.

• Shared Optical Local Loops (SOLL): these support Fibre To The Home (FTTH) access, mainly intended for the domestic market.
• Dedicated Optical Local Loops (DOLL): these support Fibre To The Office (FTTO) access, intended for the business market.
  
  

Shared Optical Local Loops

Since deployment of fibre networks began in 2007, Orange has been the leading provider of Fibre To The Home (FTTH) in France. Orange has set itself the goal of covering 60% of the population of France by 2020. On a more immediate timescale, Orange plans to provide fibre to at least one city in every French department.

This technology has created new ways of using the internet: now we can simultaneously download a film or an album faster than ever before, connect several devices to the internet, use the telephone and watch HDTV, all in the same household, without compromising performance as a result of bandwidth sharing.

In accordance with the French Economic Modernisation Act of August 2008, and the ARCEP decisions and recommendations (France’s telecommunications regulatory authority), Orange gives access to its Optical Local Loop via a Shared Access Point (SAP). Operators can access the SAP by extending their own fibre using horizontal cabling, through civil engineering infrastructures, mainly those belonging to Orange, between the SAP and their own Optical Connection Node (OCN). Orange can host the operator’s active equipment in the SAP. The SAP serves all premises located in its Hind Area via optical cabling running from the SAP to the Optical Connection Point (OCP), located near the premises. Provision of optical cabling between the OCP and the Optical End Point located on the premises of the end customer can be made on request.

• In High-Density Areas (HDA)

HDAs are areas included in a list compiled by ARCEP of 106 French municipalities including 5.5 million premises. In these areas, the SAP is generally located inside of the buildings.

•  In Low-Density Areas (LDA)

In those areas outside of HDAs where Orange intends to implement FTTH within 5 years, the brand has replied to the call for a Declaration of Intent to Invest (DII), which is part of the French government’s national superfast broadband programme. In LDAs, the SAP is generally located outside of the buildings and Orange offers a data collection service between the SAP and its OCN. 

Dedicated Local Loops

For the specific needs of businesses, particularly in terms of availability and guarantee of throughput, Orange is deploying Dedicated Optical Local Loops: businesses are connected to the Orange backbone by optical fibres using a point-to-point architecture. Using this network based on FTTO technology, Orange Wholesale France is offering access and collection solutions for business sites in its Core Ethernet range. This network covers over 6000 French municipalities.