Arcep puts accent on telecom's role in job creation

French electronic communication operators had 126,000 employees at the end of 2010, said Arcep chairman Jean-Ludovic Silicani, setting the sector's size in the general economy. The employment level has held generally steady over four years, and indirect jobs and sub-contractors had over 400,000 people working on networks, operation and associated materials and services. Including the online economy, according to a 2011 McKinsey estimate, there are 1.15 million jobs linked to the internet in France. Telecom affects the whole economy, therefore jobs. The statement comes in the wake of unions writing an open letter accusing Free Mobile's cost-cutting effect on the sector will result in job cuts. The LTE rollout, due to cover 63 percent of French territory by 2017, will require large human resources, as does the continuing fibre deployment. Payroll accounts for three quarters of cable laying costs. These are jobs that cannot be outsourced abroad. The country requires well trained telecom engineers, notably internet specialists.