REGISTRATION DOCUMENT AND FINANCIAL REPORT - Iliad

6. OVERVIEW OF THE GROUP’S BUSINESS
6.6 REGULATORY SITUATION
Therefore, the pricing of the DSL access and collection offering is no longer subject to ministerial approval, but
to the terms of a reference offer which can be amended by ARCEP.
Free can also refer to ARCEP any dispute or disagreement arising in connection with the technical or pricing
principles underpinning the DSL access and collection offering.
On June 7, 2007 ARCEP issued Decision 2007-0502 on the dispute between Free and France Télécom regarding
the pricing applicable to the DSL collection offering. ARCEP found in favor of Free and ordered its decision to
be applied retroactively.
At the end of 2007, ARCEP conducted a new analysis of the relevant dial-up Internet access market. A decision
on France Télécom’s obligations in this respect is expected in late spring 2008, and will concern the period from
mid-2008 to mid-2010. ARCEP has no plans to modify the obligations previously imposed on France Télécom,
particularly the obligation to apply cost-oriented prices, unless these prices are considered to be predatory in light
of the unbundling services.
Numbering and carrier pre-selection
Since January 17, 2000, subscribers have been able to opt for the automatic pre-selection of their long distance
operators, allowing them to access their networks without having to dial the operator’s one or four figure prefix.
The carrier pre-selection facility has also been available for calls to mobiles since November 2000 and for local
calls since the beginning of 2002, at the option of the carrier.
Pursuant to the decision imposing on France Télécom access obligations in respect of telephone services in the
wholesale market, since April 1, 2006 France Télécom has marketed an offer for “wholesale access to telephone
services” providing the possibility of selling access to telephone services and communications routing services
on the retail market without the end customer having to enter into a contract with France Télécom.
The technical conditions for carrier pre-selection are set out in France Télécom’s reference interconnect offer and
are included in the interconnection agreements entered into between France Télécom and third party operators.
Fixed number portability
Number portability is an obligation for all operators connecting end-customers.
Since January 1, 1998, subscribers have been able to keep their number when they change operator for fixed
telephone services, provided they do not change their geographical location. Number portability has been
available for shared-cost services since the second half of 2001 and for shared-revenue services since
December 17, 2002. The technical conditions for number portability outside the France Télécom network are set
out in France Télécom’s reference interconnect offer and are included in the interconnection agreements entered
into between France Télécom and third party operators.
Decree 2006-82 of January 27, 2006 extends this number portability obligation to fixed-line alternative operators.
ARCEP’s decision implementing the above decree is currently pending. It will be issued once ARCEP has
concluded its multilateral projects involving the operators concerned and defined the processes to be
implemented to ensure number portability outside the networks of alternative operators. ARCEP’s decision will
also require approval by the Minister responsible for electronic communications.
Directories and provision of subscriber lists
The Group’s services most affected by the provisions described below are the Minitel version (3617 ANNU) and
telephone version of the reverse look-up directory service, ANNU.
All operators that connect end-customers are required to supply their subscriber lists for the purpose of
publishing directories and/or providing information services.
ARCEP Decision 06-0639 of November 30, 2006 approved by the Minister responsible for electronic
communications, sets out further details on the conditions for supplying subscriber and user lists for the purpose
of publishing universal directories or providing universal information services.
52 - Iliad – Registration Document 2007