Very high speed fiber. Patrick Chaize “The four operators form a powerful lobby”

You have tabled a law, which was unanimously passed in the Senate in 2023. What does it propose?

It gives back control to the company responsible for the infrastructure, by allowing it to know which commercial operator disconnected a customer and by forcing it to repair its error, thanks to a common platform. It is important to understand that the problem does not lie in the connections, where failures are of the order of 1% according to the former Minister responsible for Digital Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, but in the disconnections, which are frequent and uncounted! This is why my law also protects the consumer. If a repair is not carried out within five days, he will not have to pay his subscription. After fifteen days, he will even be able to cancel free of charge and will be compensated by his supplier.

Why was your text not examined by the deputies?

Renaissance MPs had asked me if they could take it over, but in the meantime the National Assembly has been dissolved. And the four major operators, Free, SFR, Orange and Bouygues, form a powerful lobby.

That’s to say?

Since there are only four of them, they can coordinate within the French Telecoms Federation. The ministers responsible for digital technology are also surrounded by technical advisors who have joined telecoms schools. Their former colleagues work for the four operators. It is a microcosm. Advising a minister is intense, complicated and short. In the event of the dissolution of the cabinet, these advisors find a position with these operators.

Political instability must not suit you…

Yes, every new minister arrives with zero knowledge of the subject. His perception changes when he goes into the field for an inauguration and the elected officials tell him: “This is no longer possible.” He hears it once. Twice. Three times… And ends up understanding. After the vote on the text in the Senate, I met Jean-Noël Barrot. He humbly admitted to me that he had been a little fooled by his advisors during the debates. That doesn’t surprise me. I’ve heard so many cabinet members tell their minister that our association, Avicca, was exaggerating “in order to exist”!

Why doesn’t the state prohibit the cascade of subcontractors?

He could have and should have done so. Many practices are illegal. The president of Arcep believes that the current system should not be called into question if we want to maintain a good speed of deployment. In my opinion, this is a mistake.