ALSACE TRES HAUT DEBIT

The project concerns the deployment of a very high speed fibre to the home (FTTH) telecommunications network in about 700 communes of the Region of Alsace in France where the available or planned networks cannot offer download bit rates above 30 Mbps. The network is planned to have about 380 000 connections (sites passed). The project will be implemented by a concessionaire under a concession contract with the region (Délégation de service public).

The project will provide infrastructure enabling ultra and very high speed fixed broadband services on an open access basis. Accordingly, the project is in line with the Europe 2020 Strategy to foster smart growth and develop an economy based on knowledge and innovation. The project contributes to the Digital Agenda for Europe flagship initiative in reaching the objective of making broadband speeds of over 30 Mbps available to everyone and over 100 Mbps to 50% of the population in the EU by 2020 through the further development and expansion of the Next Generation Network Infrastructure, a key platform for the provision of advanced broadband services.

Investments in fixed telecommunications projects do not fall under Annex I or II of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive 2011/92/EC. Fixed telecommunications systems have a limited environmental effect, apart from disturbance during civil work constructions, which will be mitigated by appropriate measures. Moreover the project will use existing infrastructure as much as possible. Respect of environmental legislation is one of the conditions of the tender for the concession and environment mitigation measures will be included in the evaluation of the candidates.

The Bank will require the promoter to ensure that contracts for the implementation of the project have been/shall be tendered in accordance with the relevant applicable EU procurement legislation (Directives 2004/18/EC and/or 2004/17/EC as well as Directives 89/665/EEC and 92/13/EEC) as interpreted by the Court of Justice of the EU, with publication of tender notices in the EU Official Journal, as and where required. The tender notice (pre-qualification for a restricted procedure) for the concession contract has been published in the EU tenders electronic daily (TED).