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Orange Networks – Fast Facts
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LTE/4G, 4G+
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LTE is the way forward for GSM/UMTS/HSPA, bringing with it important improvements in terms of
speed, as well as capacity and reaction time for the customer and in cost terms for the operator
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LTE, the 4G technology, delivers data throughputs up to 150 Mbps (in a 20 MHz channel)
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LTE-Advanced, the 4G+ technology encompasses various enhancements that will come over time. The
first enhancement, called 2 CA (2 carriers aggregation) improves user throughput (up to 225 Mbps with
20+10 MHz).2 CA is deployed in France and under deployment in other European countries. Following
enhancements include 3CA (3 carrier aggregation) that delivers higher throughputs
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The Group’s LTE strategy consists of achieving in each country a “first time right” launch, with
sufficient terminal availability, good network quality, properly rolled out, and an operational process
already in place
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Orange has eleven 4G deployments across its operations, including two in Africa – France, Poland,
Spain Belgium, United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Mauritius, and recently
(February 2015) Botswana.
Roll-outs and on-going tests
 France - Orange has now over 4 million 4G customers in France. Orange France customers can also
roam on 4G in the following twenty-four countries: Germany , Saudi Arabia , Belgium , Brazil , Canada,
South Korea , Denmark , Spain, the United States , Greece , Hong Kong, Italy , Luxembourg , Moldova ,
Norway , the Netherlands , Poland , Portugal , Romania, the UK , Russia, Singapore, Sweden,
Switzerland
Orange has accelerated the roll-out of its 4G network with 74% of the French population covered at
end of 2014. Detailed information on the website http://quialameilleure4g.com
 Spain - Orange covers 70% of the Spanish population and had over 2.3 million 4G customers at the end
of 2014. In 2015, the company will increase this coverage up to 85% of the Spanish population reaching
to 1,300 cities, including all of over 10,000 inhabitants. The company has announced an investment of
€ 400 million in the next three years in its 4G network
 UK - EE launched its 4G network in October 2012. EE currently has 7.7 million 4G customers and covers
80% of the population (with a target of reaching 98% by the end of 2015)
 Poland - had 0.6 million customers and reached 61% of the population at the end of December 2014
 Slovakia - launched 4G in 2014 and had covered more than 30% of the population in 25 cities at the end
of 2014
 Belgium – in Belgium we have 0.5 million customers with 4G at end of 2014, covering 61% of the
population
 Luxembourg - Orange launched 4G offers in the capital city, Luxembourg, in November 2012.
 Romania - 4G has been available in Bucharest since December 2012. At the end of 2014 Orange
Romania had 0.4 million customers. At the of February 2015, just under 64% of the total population was
covered, and 92% of the urban population was covered
 Moldova - the first 4G offers were launched in the capital, Chișinău, in November 2012, and in the
second largest city in the country, Balti, in May 2013. Today, over 1.1 million people or 32% of the
population has access to 4G services in Moldova. During 2014, 205 customers were added
 Botswana – Orange in Botswana launched 4G in February 2015. 4G is currently operating in four cities Gaborone, Francistown, Maun and Palapye
 Mauritius, 4G has been available in Port Louis and Bagatelle since June 2012.
Roaming over LTE
 Orange has LTE roaming in 8 countries including France, Spain, Poland, Belgium, Romania,
Luxembourg, Moldova and the UK
 Orange France customers can roam on 4G in the following twenty three countries: Belgium, Brazil,
Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Italy, Luxembourg, Moldavia, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, USA.
 Everything Everywhere launched LTE roaming services for travellers coming to the United-Kingdom
from the US in December 2013. First agreement was with AT&T. EE opened a 4G roaming service to
visitors coming to the United Kingdom, and in March 2014 launched 4G roaming for customers travelling
to France and Spain.
 Orange Spain customers can roam with 31 countries: : Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France,
Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Mexico, Moldova,
Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea,
Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK, USA
 Orange Romanian customers can roam with 20 countries: Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France,
Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Moldavia, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Saudi
Arabia, Spain, Taiwan, UK, USA
 In Poland with 17 countries: Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Moldova,
Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, UK, USA
 Mobistar with 22 countries: Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan,
Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK
 Orange Luxembourg with 14 countries : Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy,
Moldova, Poland, Romania, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, UK, USA
 Orange Moldova with 9 countries: Belgium, China, France, Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, UK,
USA
 4G roaming will be deployed in AMEA region in some countries during 2015.
“Supplemental downlink technology” tests
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In a context of ever-increasing data exchange, supplemental downlink is a new technology that can be
used to improve downlink performance and – consequently – customer experience. The technology is
based on 3GPP standards that make it possible to aggregate frequencies in several bands already used
for HSPA+ and LTE networks. It can already be used in L-band frequencies, and could also be
considered in other frequency bands
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On 21 February 2013, Orange, Qualcomm and Ericsson have successfully completed the world’s
first live demonstration of supplemental downlink technology on L-band frequencies. The test
gave Orange the opportunity to concretely assess the technology, as well as the technical
performance of using additional frequencies to boost capacity of 3G/UMTS and 4G/LTE
networks.
LTE-Advanced FDD trial in the 3.4 - 3.6 GHz band in Bordeaux
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Orange and Ericsson have successfully used the 3.4-3.6 GHz (3.5 GHz) frequencies for testing data
speeds, coverage and FDD carrier aggregation. This live LTE-Advanced FDD trial, which was
authorized by the French regulator ARCEP, was carried out in October-November 2014 on Orange's
network in Bordeaux using Ericsson’s pre-commercial equipment
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The trial confirms that 3.5 GHz is suitable for the deployment of macro-cells in FDD mode in cities.
This live FDD trial demonstrated that the 3.5 GHz band can be successfully used in urban and
suburban environments in stand-alone mode or in aggregation with another band to provide
advanced mobile broadband services using a FDD access scheme for high peak data rate applications
to enhance user experience
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On Orange’s side, the project has provided an opportunity to gather essential experience on the
ways future multi-frequency networks could be optimised from cost and performance perspectives.
One of the most rewarding results of the trial is the confirmation that the existing network grid can
be reused for a 3.5 GHz macro grid; in Bordeaux, the trials used the same grid as for the 1800 MHz
and 2.6 GHz bands
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France - In order to always offer the best mobile experience to its customers, Orange is accelerating
deployment of 4G + in France. Opened in summer 2014, the 4G + 1 is now available in 17 major
cities of France: Aix-en-Provence , Avignon , Bordeaux, Douai , Grenoble, Lens, Lille, Lyon,
Marseille, Nantes , Nice, Paris, Rouen Saint -Etienne, Strasbourg, Toulon and Toulouse
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Spain - 4G+ is available in Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia. In these cities, customers who have a
4G+ device can already connect to this technology in coverage areas. Throughout 2015, Orange will
extend that coverage to Seville, Saragossa, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Murcia, Las Palmas and
Bilbao, covering the main 10 Spanish cities.
3G/3G+ (HSDPA/HSUPA/HSPA+)
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In France, Orange offers the widest spread coverage in metropolitan centers, with more than 98.5%
of the population receiving 3G+ coverage at the end of 2012 and 70% of the population receiving H+
coverage
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The latest evolution of 3G, HSPA+42, is already deployed in all Orange European countries. With
speeds up to 42 Mbit/s, HSPA+ triples the speed of the Orange 3G+ network
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The ultimate version of H+ should be HSPA+84 (delivering up to 84 Mbps). Possible trial and
deployment of this version is under study.
Outside of Europe
Orange has also committed itself to roll out 3G in all Orange countries from Africa and the Middle East
and to offer mobile coverage to 80% of the population by 2015. At the end of 2014, 3G/3G+ was
available in 16 countries of this geography.
In a great number of AMEA countries, 3G/3G+ networks were rolled out or are being rolled out, focusing
on major cities and on fixed and mobile services for the moment. In other countries, the rollouts will be
completed once 3G licences are granted.
At the end of 2014, 3G/3G+ is rolled out in 16 AMEA countries:
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Mauritius (2005)
Egypt (September 2008)
Morocco (2009)
Botswana (2009)
Jordan (February 2010)
Madagascar (2010)
Tunisia (Mai 2010)
Mali (July 2010)
Senegal (February 2011)
Niger (April 2011)
Kenya (September 2011)
Guinea (December 2011)
Côte d’Ivoire (June 2012)
Democratic Republic of the Congo (December 2012)
Vanuatu (January 2013)
Central African Republic (February 2013)
5G, the next generation of mobile networks
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We are currently focusing on deploying LTE and its evolutions. LTE has the capacity to evolve in order
to increase throughput and capacity, and to deliver new services
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From our point of view, 5G deployment is supposed to start from 2020 at the earliest, possibly 2022
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Nevertheless, we need to get ready for challenges in 2020 and beyond and are deeply involved in 5G
research activities, in particular through the PPP 5G
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We welcome 5G as an opportunity to continuously enhance quality of customer experience:
o to offer our customers a seamless and consistent connectivity at any time, any location
o in mobility, including in public transports (e.g. high speed train or airplane) or for the
connected cars
o in crowded areas (allowing e.g. 30 000 devices in a stadium to upstream simultaneously
videos of the current football game towards social networks)
o to deliver new services uniquely enabled by 5G technology such as
 enhanced IoT (e.g. sensors with 15 years battery lifetime),
 Business Critical Applications requiring ultra-reliable networks (including public
safety)
 quasi-real time or low latency applications (such as assisted driving)
o the 5G infrastructure should also be flexible to embed all future yet unknown usages and
services
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5G should lower considerably the energy consumption of networks
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In addition to the above, 5G will provide significant advantages to operators in terms of
reduction and ease of networks deployment and operation
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5G will be based on a future-proof architecture closely integrating fixed and mobile networks, in
which flexibility, cost and energy efficiency will be key elements.
cost
Fibre access
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In anticipation of evolving usages that will require higher bandwidth needs, especially with data
uploading, the Group has decided to deploy a new access network in France, using fibre optics, which
will, over time, replace the current copper network
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Between 2010-2015, Orange will invest 2 billion euros to bring fibre optics, by 2015, to customers in
220 urban areas, which include the whole of major and mid-sized cities. This represents almost 60% of
the French homes in 2020. For the remaining 40%, Orange is open to partnerships with local
authorities to bring solutions various technologies
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In Spain, the Group announced in June 2012 that it will invest 300 million euros over the next four
years in its fibre network to reach around 1.5 million homes located in the main cities. Additionally, in
March 2013, Orange Spain and Vodafone Spain signed an agreement to jointly invest one billion euros
to roll out FTTH in the country. The objective is to connect 3 million homes, commercial premises and
offices by 2015, increasing to 6 million by 2017, in over 50 cities in the Iberian Peninsula. The
agreement is open to other operators. In September 2014, Orange Spain launched a friendly voluntary
cash tender offer for the acquisition of Jazztel. Through this transaction, Orange intends to create the
second biggest fixed-line broadband operator in Spain
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Alongside FTTH, a partial reuse of the terminal copper infrastructure could allow the launch of
intermediary very high speed broadband services, notably via VDSL2 technology. In Poland, Orange
already launched commercial services at speeds of up to 80 Mbit/s. In France, Orange proposes VDSL2
to its eligible customers since 10 October 2013. This opening of VDSL2 is part of Orange’s strategy to
support changing usages by using complementarity of all his networks while continuing to intensively
deploy FTTH and 4G.
Orange fibre strategy
There is no single choice for a solution, as each country has its own specific characteristics (regulation,
competition, access to infrastructure, density and typology of homes, investment capacity). The Group is
responding to these with a range of adapted solutions.
Anticipating a breakthrough in customer needs due to usages that require simultaneous access and quality,
Orange France has chosen a FTTH (Fibre To The Home) architecture, like other major operators in the US
(Verizon) and Japan. PON (Passive Optical Network) technology has been chosen to create the
infrastructure of the fibre network. The generation of PON equipment selected by the Group is GPON
(Gigabit PON).
In addition, since 10 October 2013, Orange France proposes the VDSL2 technology to its eligible customers
who are ineligible to fibre. VDSL2 is a part of Orange's strategy of using a full palette of technologies to
support changing usages, including Fibre, VDSL2, very high speed mobile with 4G, and satellite for isolated
residential customers.
Orange Slovakia has also chosen FTTH and the GPON technology, as well as Orange Spain and Orange
Poland.
Additionally in France, as the regulatory framework for FTTH deployments outside very dense areas has
been established since the beginning of 2011, Orange published on 19 July 2011 its wholesale offer. In line
with the principles laid out by ARCEP, this offering enables the pooling of networks outside very dense
areas, allowing end users to choose their service provider. It is open to all operators. Free (the Iliad
Group), SFR and Bouygues Telecom have already chosen this offering.
In less dense areas where the Group is not planning to deploy its own FTTH network in the medium term
for profitability reasons, Orange is hoping to develop a cooperative approach with local authorities
including agreements with France’s Auvergne and Brittany regions. It is also open to collaboration with
public-led projects, such as those in Laval (Mayenne) and Palaiseau. In addition, it was involved in the
government's programme of very high speed broadband trials (Saint Lô in La Manche, Issoire in Puy-deDôme, Chevry Cossigny in Seine-et-Marne, and Mareuil-sur-Lay-Dissais in Vendée).
In April 2013, the State, the Paris region, Orange and SFR signed a common declaration to the two
operators on fibre roll out on capital equity to make the Paris region the first region with fibre in Europe
by 2020.
Roll-outs and on-going tests
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France - Since 31 December 2014, 3.6 million homes were able to subscribe to the fibre offer from
Orange. 563,000 customers have already subscribed. Orange is present today in 350 cities, which
account for nearly 1/3 of the population. We invested 257 million euros in 2012 (a 106 million euros
increase compared to 2011). Moreover, Orange proposes VDSL2 to its eligible customers since 10
October 2013
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Slovakia - At the end of 2014, Orange Slovakia had 0.3 million homes connect and 62,000 fibre
customers in 18 cities across Slovakia.
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Poland had 160,000 very high speed broadband, users (VDSL+FTTH) customers
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Spain - Orange continues to deploy fibre thanks to public and private partnerships. The agreement
signed with Vodafone in April 2013 will help accelerate those roll-outs. Orange Spain has 830,000
homes covered in 12 Spanish and 53,000 fibre customers at the end of 2014.
Future planning (from G-PON to new generation PON)
Orange actively contributed to FSAN/ITU for the production of new recommendations (G.987) to define
PON equipment that will follow G-PON (G.984). This recommendation is already available in 2 options:
 XG-PON1 (the X means 10 in Roman numbers) with a 10 Gbit/s download bandwidth and 2.5 Gbit/s
upload bandwidth. This option is preferred by the FSAN operators.
 XG-PON2 with a symmetrical 10 Gbit/s bandwidth. The cost of basic programmes necessary for its
making is still high and the market’s interest for symmetrical bandwidth is not proved yet. As
such, the option is not considered yet in the industry sector.
The first XG-PON1 commercial equipments are now on the market and the first roll-outs will probably be
made in Asia for applications of mobile backhaul and to improve FTTB customer bandwidth.
The industry is also preparing the next generation of PON with NGPON2 through standardisation. Orange
has not decided yet on a position regarding the next generation of fibre technology.
FTTD
Orange continues to follow the development of fibre, including the development of technologies such as
FTTD (fibre to the door) that could permit the maximum value and use that can be extracted from existing
copper networks.