Public-private partnerships the French way

The emphasis was on expanding local loop unbundling, expanding wireless services to rural areas and ensuring connectivity in business parks located outside of city centres. Under the scheme 53 public private projects were established, covering two-thirds of France, Gauthey says.

The projects

Among those taking part in the projects was the telco Free, which has become something of a poster child for local loop unbundling around the world. Gauthey says that in France, Free was the first to introduce VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), ADSL2+, IPTV and fibre-based services. However the incumbent telco has proven to be a fast follower.

She also created 800 cyber centres throughout France where the public could go to be trained to use the internet. She formed alliances with agencies involved in working with the unemployed, who used the cyber centres as a way of training people in internet skills in order to help them into paid employed. Gauthey says the idea for the cyber centres came from a similar scheme she'd seen operating in Canada.

Gauthey speaks five languages and is kind of ambassador for Alcatel-Lucent. She travels the world seeking out new concepts in how to facilitate better broadband access, as well as talking to governments and telcos about the French approach to PPPs. After New Zealand she was flying to Mexico to meet with that country's Minister of Telecommunications.