Internet outages in France leave residents paying bills despite months without service
Delays are often caused by a split network system separating providers from infrastructure operators, slowing repairs, compensations and accountability
An elderly couple near Toulouse have been left without phone and internet service for four months (image for illustrative purposes only)
Copyright (c) 2020 KornT/Shutterstock.
Hundreds of households, including many elderly residents, report prolonged internet and landline outages while continuing to be billed despite having no service.
The situation raises questions over compensation rules and how quickly repairs are carried out.
In one case near Toulouse, an 84-year-old and 85-year-old couple have been without internet and phone service for around four months following storm damage to telecom infrastructure.
Despite repeated contacts with their provider, the fault has still not been resolved, while monthly payments continue to be taken.
"It's a scandal. I keep getting nice, sympathetic people who repeat the same thing, but nothing changes. It's unthinkable that a company [Orange] of this size has no solution to offer us," said the 85-year-old Jérôme Soubielle from Portet-sur-Garonne to La Dépêche.
The couple say they have paid a total of €350 since January, for a service that has not been provided.
A similar situation occured in the Landes department, where hundreds of customers are still affected after Storm Nils caused damage in February. Around 300 households are still reported to be without service in scattered rural areas, with operators pointing to complex repair works and difficulties locating individual faults.
“Following the storm on February 11/12 we were without power for seven days and still have no internet access via the fibre network,” a reader told The Connexion.
“Our provider, Orange, and the network provider Altitude (PIXL) have been unhelpful and devoid of information as to when services will be reconnected. I contacted both Orange and Altitude on February 21 and received a response from both that the lines and poles damaged in the storm were due to be replaced on March 27. No surprise, nothing actually happened,” he added.
His fibre service was one of those that were restored quickly.
Split system at route of many problems
In France, internet services are often delivered through a split system. Customers contract with a provider such as Orange, but the physical fibre network may be owned and maintained by a separate infrastructure operator.
This division can slow repairs, as fixing a fault may require coordination between several parties. Operators also tend to prioritise larger outages affecting many users before dealing with isolated cases in rural areas.
For example, in the Portet-sur-Garonne case, the couple has a contract with Orange but the fibre network belongs to Fibre 31 and so the latter is responsible for restoring service through communication with Orange.
What about compensation?
Under French consumer law, customers may be entitled to reductions on their bills when services are unavailable for extended periods, depending on the terms of their contract.
Some providers apply automatic refunds once outages are confirmed, while others require customers to actively request compensation. Refunds are usually limited to deductions for the period without service.
Additional payments may be possible, but typically only if customers can demonstrate specific harm, such as loss of income or inability to work.
According to guidance on telecom disputes in France, providers have a legal obligation to deliver adequate service under the Consumer Code. If they fail to do so, customers can seek redress, first through the provider’s complaints process.
If a dispute cannot be resolved directly with the provider, customers can refer the case to France’s electronic communications mediator, which aims to propose a solution within a few months. The process is free but requires that customers first attempt to resolve the issue directly with their provider.
However, in our reader’s case, he was not charged by Orange while the service was down: “I was not charged for the service whilst it was down, and after complaining about the poor quality of the local 4G network, I was given a €15 refund for both my wife and me.” He did mention, though, that he contacted them numerous times, so perhaps in such cases, a little nudge can go a long way.
Have you had a problem like the above with a telecom provider? Share your experience with us via feedback@connexionfrance.com
