By Stuart Thomson

French service provider Free is to commercialise its service offerings via the networks operated by transmission services provider TDF following an agreement between the latter and IFT, a sister outfit to Free owned by its proprietor Iliad Telecom.

TDF has built out a number of fibre networks in less densely populated parts of the country that are open to third party service providers.

The company operates four networks via subsidiaries covering 735,000 homes, including 85,000 in Val d’Oise, 100,000 in Yvelines, 320,000 in the Indre-Et-Loire and Loir-et-Cher departments of the Val de Loire, and 230,000 homes in Maine-et-Loire via Anjou Fibre.

Yveline Fibre will be the first to open up to Free, with subscribers able to access the full range of Free fibre services.

The company said it aimed to be present in the other TDF networks by the end of the year.

Iliad said it had invested over €1 billion in fibre over the last 18 months, with the ambition of being present across the country. And claims it has accounted for two thirds of subscibers outside France’s densely populated areas.

“We are delighted by this agreement that enables us to take forwards our long-standing partnership with Free. Fixed very high-speed broadband is becoming a necessity for the appeal of the regions and the daily life of French people. In the name of TDF, I am proud that we can contribute to the regions that have given us their confidence,” said CEO of TDF, Olivier Huart.

“With this new agreement, we are confirming our strategy of long-term co-investment in fibre networks that today enables the group to cover 21 million fibred homes in France and to make fibre accessible to the greatest number with identical offers for all available in all the regions,” said CEO of Iliad Telecom, Thomas Reynaud.