French government unveils broadband plan

The French government has unveiled a €2bn investment programme to deliver very high-speed internet services across the country over the next five years.

The plan envisages the launch of a series of pilot projects to develop high-speed networks, to be rolled out over nine months from this autumn to the summer of 2011. The French government expects to invest up to €0.5m per project. National operators and local authorities have until the end of January next year to make know their plans to invest in high-speed networks. Public investment will be concentrated in zones where commercial deployments are unlikely to be profitable.