Telecompaper

French telecommunications regulator Arcep has asked 3G network operators, Orange, SFR and Bouygues Telecom, to reach a framework agreement by 31 December on sharing their installations and to propose geographic areas where sharing can occur by 15 June. These areas must include those featured in a 2003 national plan to extend GSM coverage. Operators must also consider the possibility of sharing 3G installations in zones where 2G services are not available. The framework agreement must foresee the possible entry of a new 3G network operator on equitable terms. Operators are already sharing 20 to 40 percent of their passive installations, such as buildings and masts, depending on the operators and locations, thereby limiting the visual environmental impact. A second approach is to share base stations, either via RAN sharing or 3G roaming. If the operators do not come to an agreement by the end of the year, the regulator will set the conditions.