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'Orange, Vodafone, Jazztel talk shared fibre investments'(DMeurope Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Orange is in talks with Vodafone and Jazztel to share investments in new high-speed broadband infrastructure. Orange has already reached preliminary agreements with Jazztel and Vodafone to share investment in fixed telephony, reports Cinco Dias, citing Jean Marc Vignolles, head of France Telecom's Spanish operations. The size of the fibre network deployment project requires a joint effort, Vignolles added. By joining efforts, alternative operators plan to rationalize investments and compete better, not form a front against Telefonica, the Orange representative said. Alternative operators mainly seek to share investments on particular areas or deployments. In addition, they also plan to partner with incumbent operator Telefonica. This year, Orange will roll out technology service trials with various customer categories using Telefonica's network, to test access to its ducts and infrastructure within buildings. Depending on results, Orange will determine the pace of investment in its own fibre network, as well as the new technology to be used to provide residential users across Spain with internet access at speeds of 100 Mbps and HD television services. Orange Spain aims to reach an annual growth rate of 15 to 20 percent for its mobile broadband business until 2011, and an increase of 5 to 10 percent in turnover generated by its corporate customers business. The company will focus on increasing fixed and mobile broadband ARPU, while investments for 2009 will remain stable. (Distributed for DMeurope.com via M2 Communications Ltd (www.m2.com)) Copyright ? 2009 M2 Communications Ltd. |