Definitely, the fiber connection is far from being a long calm river for some. In 2021, the number of disputes related to fiber exceeded those related to ADSL for the first time. In question: falsely eligible addresses, catastrophic work and abusive disconnections. However, disputes over mobile plans remain in the lead.
5500 : the number of fiber optic disputes recorded by Arcep in 2021. For the first time, this figure exceeds that of ADSL. Thus, fiber files represent 30% of the total, while those of ADSL are 27%. Of course, we must take into account, first of all, the massive acceleration of the deployment of fiber in France. Last month, Orange notably announced that it had exceeded 6 million subscribers on its offer.
In addition, the operator has also started dismantling its copper network, historically linked to ADSL. “It reflects the general state of the market. Last year, there were more fiber subscriptions than ADSL”, recalls Valérie Alvarez, mediator of electronic communications. Only a fiber optic subscription remains is not always easy.
Problems as soon as the fiber is installed
For some, the disappointment begins when they test their accommodation. Indeed, many households are declared as eligible for optical fiber on the site of operators, but only because their region is. Thus, when they try to subscribe to an offer, they have the unpleasant surprise to discover that the cables do not reach their house… in addition to learning that the connection works are at their expense. “Operators must clearly specify to the customers concerned that they will have to take charge of this work”believes Valérie Alvarez.
Then comes the installation in the home, often synonymous with ordeal. Arcep itself described the number of failed connections as unacceptable. And for good reason: too many technicians, often not enough or badly trained, make mistakes until sometimes damage subscribers’ homes. This is why Valérie Alavrez “recommends consumers stay home during installation. And not to leave children, even older teenagers, alone. Often they dare not say no to careless installers”.
On the same subject: Optical fiber – the government announces aid of €300 to €600 per person to obtain very high speed
And then, all this is without counting the users who have not asked for anything, but who find themselves without Internet when a technician disconnects their connection during installation at another subscriber, or even poorly maintained premises or cables overlap each other. Despite everything, it should be noted that disputes related to mobile contracts remain at the top of the ranking with 39% of total files. A performance that the latter owe to the regular increases in the price of the packages, often carried out without the knowledge of the subscribers.
Source: Le Figaro
