march april | Page 13

France: FTTH 82 % of fixed internet subscriptions
French regulator Arcep has
published its scorecard for
the fixed broadband and
superfast broadband market
in France as of the end of
December 2025.
As of December 31
2025, 42.4m households
in France were passed for
fibre, representing 94.3 %
coverage. Close to 2.6m
premises still remain to be
passed.
The pace in FTTH
deployment slowed once
again in Q4 2025, as
rollouts in multiple regions
near completion: 395,000 additional households were passed during the quarter, or 42 % fewer than in Q4 2024.
150,000 additional premises in lower density, public-initiative areas were rendered eligible for FTTH access, with 1,210,000 premises remaining to be covered.
190,000 additional premises in lower density, private-initiative areas were rendered eligible for FTTH access, with 840,000 premises remaining to be covered.
15,000 additional premises were passed for FttH in those areas covered by calls for expressions of local interest( called‘ zones
AMEL’ in French), with 60,000 premises remaining to be covered.
40,000 additional premises in very high-density areas were passed for FTTH, with 460,000 premises remaining to be covered.
As of 31 December 2025, 43.2 million households were covered by fixed ultrafast services( FttH, VDSL2, cable), or 96 % of all households in France.
At the end of 2025, in those parts of the country where the Government has issued a call for investment letters of intent( zones AMII):
• around 96 % of the premises for which Orange has made a commitment had been made eligible for fibre access;
• and around 98 % of those
in municipalities where SFR has made a commitment had been made eligible for fibre access. As of end December 2025, 27.1m internet subscriptions in France were to a fibre( FTTH) plan, or 82 % of all fixed plan subscriptions.
Subscriptions to fibre plans grew by 740,000 in Q4 2025, identical to the rate of growth in Q4 2024. The number of FttH subscriptions thus stood at 27.1m at the end of December 2025, which represents 82 % all internet subscriptions and 93 % of all superfast internet subscriptions. Ten years ago, FTTH subscription numbers totalled 1.4m, or 5 % of total internet subscriptions in France.
“ Having a clear and orderly plan towards copper switch off will drive further investment.” – Francesco Nonno, FTTH Council Europe
continues to accelerate. The number of FTTH / B subscribers across the EU39 reached around 160 million, reflecting more than 13 % year on year growth. The average take-up rate also increased, reaching approximately 54 %, an improvement of slightly more than two percentage points compared to the previous year. This indicates steady progress in converting network availability into active connections, although a significant activation gap remains between infrastructure deployment and subscriber uptake. PROGRESS. Progress is also visible in rural connectivity. Across the EU27 and the UK, around 65 % of rural households are now passed by FTTH / B networks, an increase of about two percentage points year on year. This reflects the impact of public funding programmes and targeted deployment initiatives aimed at connecting the most
Truespeed, Freedom Fibre combine businesses
Altnets Truespeed Communications and Freedom Fibre have signed an agreement to combine their businesses. The combined entity will play a role in the ongoing consolidation of the UK alternative network sector. This merger brings together two businesses with a combined footprint of 412,000 premises ready for service, and 70,000 customers, concentrated across the North-West, West Midlands, South-West and East of England.
Both businesses bring a proven track record of multi-location M & A execution and integration. Truespeed, after merging with County Broadband in 2025, has already consolidated its South-West and East of England networks into a single operation with integrated capabilities. Freedom Fibre, based in the North-West, had previously merged with VX UK in 2024, with network infrastructure in the West Midlands, South-West and East of England, plus the Internet Service Provider( ISP) LilaConnect, to create an integrated wholesale and multi-brand retail operation complex and underserved areas.
Looking ahead, the long-term outlook for fibre in Europe remains strong. According to the 2025-2031 market forecasts, FTTH / B networks could reach around 353 million premises across the EU39 by 2031, with more than 251 million active fibre subscribers expected by that time. These trends confirm the central role fibre will play as the foundation of Europe’ s future digital infrastructure.
Completing the set of annual reports presented every year by the FTTH Council Europe, the FTTH / B Global Ranking 2026 provides a comprehensive analysis of where European markets stand in comparison to other regions.
Francesco Nonno, President of the FTTH Council Europe, commented:“ Europe has achieved remarkable progress in fibre deployment, but sustaining investment at this scale requires a stable and forward-looking policy environment. As policymakers shape the next phase of Europe’ s digital framework, initiatives such as the Digital Networks Act and the future Cybersecurity Act will be instrumental in ensuring the financial stability and regulatory certainty needed to support long-term infrastructure investment.”
Vincent Garnier, Director General of the FTTH Council Europe, added:“ As Europe approaches high levels of fibre coverage, the focus of the industry is naturally shifting. The next chapter is about ensuring that fibre networks deliver their full economic and societal potential- accelerating adoption, supporting the switch-off of legacy
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