News / Networks
France Telecom plans Paris fibre trial
On 2 February 2006, France Telecom said it planned a fibre-to-the-home trial for several thousand Paris homes. The proposal placed fibre close to the centre of a debate then dominated by DSL upgrades and limited UK trials.
A trial with wider ambitions
The company expected the pilot to begin during 2006 and described possible extension to other regions in 2007. That was a plan, not a confirmed national launch. Its scale suggested a service experiment that could inform a broader access-network programme.
Why the access network mattered
Fibre was presented as a way to move beyond the capacity constraints of ADSL and ADSL2+. Building it into local streets and homes would be expensive, but could give the local loop more room for later services. At the time, comparable UK activity remained limited and BT’s 21st Century Network work was focused on the core network.