corporate social responsibility complete report France ... - Orange

26 includepromoting digital inclusion for allour ambitions:- make our products and services accessible to the largest number of people by fighting againstgeographical, economic and physical exclusion factors, such as age and disabilities.Today, only 22% of the world population has Internetaccess, with strong disparities between developedcountries, where the access rate is greater than 60%,and emerging countries, where it is often lower than20%. Moreover, within one same country, certainpopulation groups, such as low-income people,seniors or the disabled, have more difficultyaccessing the benefits of information andcommunication technologies.Determined to fight against this “digital divide,” theGroup has perfected specific technologies foropening isolated areas up to the outside world,offering tariff plans suited to low incomes, andworking from the design stage to make productseasier to use for seniors or the disabled.solutions for remote areasTo further the digital inclusion of rural areas, theGroup is continually extending the coverage of itsInternet networks and of its fixed-line and mobileservices. It also finances specific projects affordingdeveloping countries access to a communicationsinfrastructure.InternetThe Group has deployed one of Europe‟s largestbroadband Internet networks, with over 13 millionADSL* customers at the end of 2008.coverage rate for internet access (as a % of population)Countrybroadbandinternet3G+ EDGE 3G+(HSPDA)France 98% 99% 68%Poland 97% 99% 35%UK 59% 93% 71%Spain 67% 93% 81%key figures:• Only 5% of Africa‟s population has Internetaccess, compared to 48% in Europe and 74%in North America. 1• In emerging countries, only 15% of thepopulation has access to fixed-line telephonyand 33% has a mobile telephone subscription,compared to 51% and 92%, respectively, indeveloped countries. 2• 62% of the population in developed countrieshas a computer, compared to 5% in emergingcountries and less than 1% in the leastdeveloped countries. 21source: Internetworldstats.com2source: ITU World Telecommunication/ICT IndicatorsDatabaseIn some African countries, such as Botswana andCameroon, the broadband offering is carried byWIMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for MicrowaveAccess) technology, which allows for coveringisolated rural areas through Hertzian broadbandconnections when it is not possible to deploy ADSL*.This technology is also used in Poland to cover ruralareas.Another solution well suited to isolated areas, Flyboxallows residents of regions lacking sufficient fixedADSL* coverage to enjoy the advantages ofbroadband (Internet, telephony, etc.) by using themobile broadband network. In 2008, it was deployedin Romania, Slovakia, Egypt and Switzerland.alternative solutionsFor areas that still cannot access broadband servicefor technical and geographical reasons, FranceTelecom is offering alternate solutions, such as theWi-Fi Surf Package, White Area Subscriber AccessNodes (NRA-ZO*) or satellite.In France, the “NRA-ZO*” package, in partnershipwith local governments that want it, allows forextending broadband Internet access to the mostisolated municipalities.In Senegal, Orange has deployed CDMA* (CodeDivision Multiple Access) technology, which affordsisolated areas not covered by ADSL* to access theInternet via the mobile network.“TheClaude Pernès,President of the Ile de FranceMayors‟ Associationdevelopment of broadband meets a threefoldchallenge: social – by making availableservices that the population has a right toexpect –, industrial – productivity gains–, territorial and environmental: the less youtravel, the less you use transportation and theless you look for nearby lodging. An interestingchallenge in terms of mobility.”