You are a company

The Orne digital masterplan includes the progressive roll-out of very high-speed internet. Optical fibre, copper wire ADSL, Wireless Local Loop, WiMAX and satellite are all being used to increase speeds across the area. These technologies will be implemented according to actual requirements, the existing infrastructures and geography.

Phase 1: 2014 – 2020

The first phase of the Orne Digital Masterplan covers the connection of 80 business and industrial parks in the area to very high-speed internet by 2020. These are priority targets for Orne Council.

31 business and industrial parks already benefit from an attractive offer. The remaining 49 areas will be connected to very high-speed internet by 2020. The scheme will be rolled out gradually.

Any requests from individual companies may also be taken into consideration (e.g. company with no access of insufficient ADSL access, a company not located on a business park, isolated, etc.)

Aid for companies in the run-up to the fibre optic network

Because they are located too far from telephone exchanges and intermediate distribution frames, some Orne businesses will not have fibre optic access (i.e. very high-speed internet) by 2020. However, they can already get a quality high-speed connection over the airwaves (wireless local loop, satellite and WIMAX).

As part of the Orne digital masterplan, Orne Council has introduced a system of grants to help businesses cover the cost of internet access in areas where the copper network is not compatible with ADSL.

Aid for companies not on the wireline network

Pending the bandwidth upgrade and the very high-speed local loop, Orne Council will cover a share of the cost of fitting satellite, Wimax and wireless local loop technologies. Council aid is limited to €150 or €450, depending on whether or not beneficiaries purchase the connection kit. This policy aims to give everyone access to satisfactory speeds using wireless solutions.

The replacement of equipment already subsidised by the Council, but which has since become obsolete (due to a change of satellite) is also eligible. Satellite dishes and other devices taken down can be recycled at waste collection centres.

Aid for companies for the high-speed and very high-speed wireline network

Orne Council also covers a share of the work required to for ADSL access for companies who will not, in the short term, benefit from the initiatives included in the Orne digital masterplan (non-priority companies for bandwidth upgrade or FTTH). Orne Council thus offers a grant worth 30% of a maximum budget of €50,000 excl. tax, i.e. a maximum grant of €15,000. This is available to small, medium and large companies, and to tradesmen and retailers.

Contact: Orne Council – Local digital development mission: 02 33 81 60 00 – extension 1767 and 1768.

Phase 2: post-2020

A shared, neutral collection network (Orne-wide collection network) could be developed after 2020.

This network would make it possible to

  • provide very high-speed access to all 115 public sites and 80 business and industrial parks;
  • collect areas equipped with Fibre-To-The-Home;
  • interconnect Orne to surrounding public and private networks.

Other projects will be gradually added to this initiative after 2020, to reach a level of 75% of all households able to connect to the fibre optic network by 2030.

Alongside this scheme which covers telecommunications infrastructures, digital services are already the focus of investment by Orne Council, with dematerialisation and procedures available on Orne.fr, the creation of telecentres, and development of innovative digital services. These projects will be continued as part of the new masterplan.

Internet for companies

Can my company get financial aid?

As part of the Orne Digital Masterplan, Orne Council has introduced a system of grants to help businesses cover the cost of internet access in areas where the copper network is not compatible with ADSL.

Aid for companies not on the wireline network

Pending the bandwidth upgrade and the very high-speed local loop, Orne Council will cover a share of the cost of fitting satellite, Wimax and wireless local loop technologies (such as R’Lan). This aid is limited to €150 or €450, depending on whether or not beneficiaries purchase the connection kit. This policy aims to give everyone access to satisfactory speeds using wireless solutions. The replacement of equipment already subsidised by the Council, but which has since become obsolete (due to a change of satellite) is also eligible. Satellite dishes and other devices taken down can be recycled at waste collection centres.

Aid for companies for the high-speed and very high-speed wireline network

Orne Council also covers a share of the work required to for ADSL access for companies who will not, in the short term, benefit from the initiatives included in the Orne Digital Masterplan  Orne Council thus offers a grant worth 30% of a maximum budget of €50,000 excl. tax, i.e. a maximum grant of €15,000. This is available to small, medium and large companies, and to tradesmen and retailers.

I’ve heard about remote working via the internet. How might this affect my company?

Remote working means employees are able to work for their company away from the office, either at home if they have sufficient bandwidth or in a telecentre with a high-speed or very high-speed internet connection and secured data systems (8 sites now open in Orne).

Remote working can help optimise performance and can be set up on a full-time or part-time basis for the employee. It is also a way of making use of specific expertise available in other areas. There are two websites you can consult: : Remote working in Orne and the Alençon Chambers of Commerce and Industry

 

Is there a special organisation I can contact for advice?

The Echangeur, a training and resource centre specialised in Information and Communication technologies (ICT) based in Alençon is there to help companies, local authorities, institutions and freelancers learn more about technologies, keep up with (or anticipate) trends and identify the impact on their activities: www.echangeurbn.com

What does “access fee” mean? Does it mean the civil engineering work and materials or subscription?

The access fee is the cost of building the portion of the fibre optic network and the related civil engineering work between the business park (or the nearest hub for an isolated company) and the company’s technical facility.

What does the Orne Digital Masterplan include for businesses?

It includes very high-speed access for business and industrial parks and the consideration of individual requests coming from companies. For example, where there is no or insufficient ADSL access, or for a company that is isolated, not located in a business park, etc.

What technology can my company use to connect to the very high-speed network?

If your company is located in a so-called CE2O area

(which gives operators access to Orange’s wholesale offer), it already has access to a very high-speed offer regulated by the ARCEP. The Orne digital masterplan is not applicable in this case (14 towns and villages concerned on June 1st 2013: Alençon, Argentan, Caligny, Damigny, Domfront, Flers, L’Aigle, La Chapelle-d’Andaine, La Ferrière-Bochard, La Ferté-Macé, Mortagne-au-Perche, Sées, Vimoutiers.

If your company is not located in a CE2O area

the Orne digital masterplan includes plans to connect you to the very high-speed network. However, depending on exactly where you are and the distance from the telecoms equipment, you will be connected using fibre optics or a microwave radio relay system (very high-speed wireless link) running up to your company. The choice will depend on the estimated cost of connection.

Why are professional service offers more expensive?

Depending on their activity, professionals need faster speeds and better service quality (guaranteed, symmetric upload and download speeds, shorter maintenance and repair times if the system goes down, etc.) Prices are thus adapted to cover this, like the operators’ business offers.

Will I be able to choose from a range of operators’ offers?

You will find the answer on www.degrouptest.com. Competition varies across Orne. Operators are more attracted to the towns than rural areas. This is why, for each investment granted, Orne Council endeavours to invite a number of competitors to use the infrastructures provided.