In our telephone networks, the end of copper has been announced. Officially, through the voice of Stéphane Richard, the boss of Orange, the historic operator in France, when he presented his Engage 2025 plan in December. The end of the old telephone lines, envisaged for several years, will begin gradually from 2023. A turning point in the history of telecommunications.
Fiber, less energy-consuming and more suitable
Copper was used from the beginnings of the telegraph, and was massively deployed in the years 1970-1980. Telephone, ADSL … Despite his limited speed, he was made to ” wonders “Smiles Marc Blanchet, Technical and Information Systems Director at Orange.
After decades of service, copper has now been overtaken by optical fiber, which is much more suitable for transporting high-speed digital signal and less energy-consuming. Fiber, which has been deployed for ten years, is expected to reach 90% to 95% of homes by 2023, the year chosen to begin removing copper.
” Maintaining two networks is expensive, explains Marc Blanchet. From the moment the government, and operators have taken the side of all-fiber, it makes sense to remove the one that needs to be replaced. “About 500 million euros are devoted each year to the maintenance, both preventive and curative of copper wires (for example, the restoration of an overhead cable after a storm), copper of which the worst enemy remains the humidity, for the oxidation it causes and to which the fiber is not subject.
The mutation has already started
” It will be cheaper to have only fiber to maintain, notes Jean-Luc Lemmens, of Idate, a telecoms consulting firm. Since removing a network is expensive, savings will not begin until the network is completely shut down. In the field, the transformation has already started: at the heart of the network, it has been several years since the large copper cables have been removed, already representing nearly 80,000 tonnes of this metal from which Orange has obtained recovery.
The more uncertain is that of the narrower wires, particularly the 500,000 km of overhead cables and the terminal parts. ” It’s hard to estimate the residual value “Concedes Marc Blanchet, believing that it would be risky to imagine that she could” cover “the cost of disassembly.
” Supporting customers towards fiber “
If the latter is made possible, it is good because it will be done ” at the pace of fiber deployment, with the same services and a better level of quality rendered to the customer, underlines Marc Blanchet. The bulk of our work will not be its technical dimension, but will consist in supporting our customers towards the fiber. “
When it is installed on a territory, experience teaches that a third of users adopt it fairly quickly, another third gradually lets itself be convinced, for example by those around it, a third third waits: for lack of time or, by example, of additional interest compared to the use they make of the network…
In 2025, the number of “copper accesses” will remain significant
It is by thinking of these customers, that he does not wish to rush, that the operator chooses to “smooth” the operations consisting in withdrawing copper over several years, by 2030. Orange intends to adapt to their diversity: individuals, whether or not living in co-ownerships of varying sizes, businesses, etc.
If the number of “copper access” lines drops by around 10 to 15% each year, it is still twenty million today and will remain significant in 2025. Hence the need to spread this operation over time, to that the transition from the last customers to fiber is smooth.
This transition, spread over several years, must also have the effect of not frightening the customers of the different operators, who could be disturbed by “the end of copper” and tempted to go to competitors. Because if the fiber is being installed by several of them, the management of the copper network is the sole responsibility of Orange, which then makes available (what is called “unbundling”) the infrastructure to its competitors. The possible risk of losing customers as an infrastructure operator is ” assumed “, According to Marc Blanchet, recalling that Orange is a leader in the deployment of fiber, capable of ensuring very high speed for the fixed network.
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