In the second quarter of 2026, fewer new homes and businesses could be connected to high-speed fiber-optic internet than at any time since 2014. According to the Avicca association, which represents internet service providers, some residents in large cities may have to wait at least four years for fiber access, while those in less densely populated areas might not get it until spring 2028. In June, Avicca had warned about a sharp decline in new fiber connections, with only 273,000 premises added between April and June, compared to 521,000 in the same period a year earlier. As of June 30, 43.1 million homes and businesses were connectable, or 95.3% of the total, but 2.1 million were still not connected, according to a report by the regulatory authority, Arcep, published on September 10. In rural areas, local governments are primarily responsible for new connections, while private companies have reduced their efforts in large cities and other regions under their control. In densely populated areas, where Arcep has grouped major metropolitan regions and their most populated communes, each provider is allowed to run its own fiber lines to the base of buildings. In the second quarter, only 48,000 new premises were connected, the same as a year earlier. However, Free, one of the major providers, had already completed half of these connections well in advance. Its mutualization points—where multiple providers connect to a shared network—were in such poor condition that other companies could no longer use them. In late 2025, Arcep ordered Free’s subsidiary, Réseau Optique de France, to repair the equipment and froze 81,000 connections, over a quarter of Free’s total. Free has since restored these connections, and they have been reintroduced to the market this year. Without them, only 25,000 truly new premises were connected in the second quarter—23,000 by Orange and 2,000 by SFR. At this rate of about 8,000 premises per month, Avicca estimates it will take at least four years to fully cover large cities. No new commune was fully connected to fiber in the second quarter. Orange plans to shut down its copper network, which provides traditional broadband internet, by 2030 and will stop service in Ajaccio, a city with 76,000 residents, by the end of January. Ajaccio will be the first major city to be fully switched to fiber. Laure de La Raudière, president of Arcep, noted that no complaints have been reported to the regulator or the providers. Orange must also warn its customers and maintain ADSL—traditional broadband—service for 12 months after ending its commercialization. In large cities, several communes and metropolises are expected to ask the government to delay shutting down the copper network until all their premises are connected to fiber, according to Avicca. Outside major metropolitan areas, local authorities are outpacing private providers in fiber deployment. In medium-sized communes, Orange and SFR have promised the government to deploy fiber at their own expense as part of the "call for expression of investment intentions" (AMII) program. However, as of June 30, the two providers had not yet started work on 28% of the addresses in these areas. Avicca says no one can now force Orange to account for its actions since the government renegotiated its commitments, and the association regrets the government's silence on the issue. In other areas, departments have turned fiber deployment over to private operators in exchange for specific deadlines through the "calls for local commitment expressions" (AMEL) program. These operators still need to connect about 73,000 premises, but only added an average of just over 10,000 new premises per quarter in the last three quarters. Avicca had expected the work to be completed by summer 2026 but now estimates it will be finished by spring 2028. The association also regrets that Arcep has not issued any sanctions, even though these commitments are legally enforceable. In rural areas, where private operators have refused to invest, departments and regions have launched public initiative networks, or RIP, to provide fiber access. Of the 273,000 premises connected in the second quarter, 153,000 were on these public networks, nearly two-thirds of all new connections once Free’s connections were restored. The Vendée and Pyrénées-Atlantiques regions have completed their networks so effectively that 30 RIP projects are now over 99% connected, and the Orne and Vienne have joined 67 RIP projects with more than 95% coverage. Brittany has maintained a steady pace, with 4% more premises connected in the Côtes-d'Armor and Ille-et-Vilaine, and 3.5% in the Finistère and Morbihan. Less than a million premises remain to be connected on these public networks, and at the current rate, Avicca does not expect the projects to be completed before the end of 2027. Despite this, the association concludes that local authorities will ensure all areas, even the most rural, are eventually covered.