-
French census criticised for question on parental birthplace
Groups believe responses could be used to fuel discriminatory policies
-
Nestlé baby formula recall: French authorities criticised over response time
One infant died after drinking the formula although no causal link has officially been identified
-
French farmers begin major protest in Strasbourg
More than 700 tractors expected to park outside EU Parliament in two-day protest
Fibre optic broadband in rural areas
A new telecoms operator, Vitis, is set to specialise in offering fibre optic cabling to rural areas which may not have access to high-speed internet. It plans to sell a triple play fibre contract covering internet, mobile and television.
Rural areas often do not have fibre optic networks, or are only covered by small alternative operators and the ‘Big 4’ French telecoms firms (Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Free) tend to concentrate on cities as they are more profitable.
However, more than 50% of French departments are now covered by public initiative networks (RIPs) co-financed by operators who install fibre optic cabling to give high-speed broadband access. Vitis wants to penetrate 20% of these networks within two years.
To check availability in your area, visit www.vitis.tv
