FRANCE TELECOM FACES FRESH PROCEEDINGS OVER LOCAL LOOP.

• Position: Company Business and Marketing

The French telecommunications regulatory authority has instituted new legal proceedings against France Telecom as part of the process for exposing the incumbent's local network to competition (unbundling), the authority announced on 5 April. It also called on France Telecom to act between now and 13 April to publish a new reference offer that meets the conditions the regulator has set (particularly as regards charges) for providing access to the private sector. The regulatory authority accuses France Telecom of failing to heed a decision taken on 8 February to compel the historic operator to agree to a cut of at least 33% (to total a maximum of Euro 107.9) in the charges it plans to make to allow competitors access to its local network. France Telecom appeared before the Council of State in February in order to challenge the decision.The authority announced on 5 April...