1. DGPT actions

2. Developments in the sector in France

3. Worldwide and European Developments

October 1993

• Public consultation on adjusting the French regulatory framework for telecommunications organised by Bruno Lasserre on behalf of the Minister

• 12 October: 75% participation in France Télécom strike against the proposal to change the status of the public operator

November 1993

• 8 November: launch of a public consultation on the new national numbering plan
• 26 November: publication of the three ERMES radio paging licences, granted to France Télécom, Bouygues and Compagnie Générale des Eaux

• 18 November: favourable decision by the Conseil d'Etat on maintaining the civil service status of France Télécom employees in case of partial privatisation
• The Prime Minister assigned Mr. Pierre Huet responsibility for auditing the organisation of frequency management in France

December 1993

• 1 December: creation of the DGPT within the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Posts and Telecommunications

• 7 December: adoption by the European Council of Telecommunications Ministers of a Resolution on universal service in the telecommunications sector
• 7 December: announcement of the creation of the Atlas strategic alliance between France Télécom and Deutsche Telekom

January 1994

• 14 January: the DGPT authorised mobile operators to set up their own telecommunications infrastructure
• 25 January: launch of the invitation to tender to select the 3rd mobile telephone operator in France

• 15 January: reform of France Télécom tariffs and creation of extended local zones

February 1994

• 22 February: an interministerial committee led by the Prime Minister laid down a framework for the information society and requested that Mr. Théry prepare a report on the subject
• February: the Huet report on reforming frequency management in France was submitted to the Prime Minister

• 7 February: adoption by the European Council of Ministers of a Resolution on the postal sector mandating the Commission to propose suitable measures for harmonising and developing postal services in the European Union
• Creation of the "Bangemann Group" to examine the stakes involved in the information society in Europe

March 1994

• 29 March: the DGPT granted a licence to the Compagnie Générale des Eaux to launch an experimental DECT network in St Maur des Fossés

April 1994

• 7 April: public presentation by Bruno Lasserre of the summary of the public consultation organised by the DGPT on the evolution of French telecommunications
• 15 April: subsequent to the public consultation organised by the DGPT on the new telephone numbering plan, an agreement was reached between the DGPT and France Télécom on a new 10 digit national numbering system, to be implemented in 1996

• 15 April: conclusion of the Uruguay Round and signing at Marrakech of the Final Act establishing the WTO and in particular the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) which includes specific provisions for the telecommunications sector
• Publication by the European Commission of a Green Paper on mobile and personal communications

May 1994

• 2 May: closing date for the invitation to tender to select France's 3rd mobile telephone operator

• May: the "Bangemann Group" presented its report, "Europe and the global information society — Recommendations to the European Council"

June 1994

• 3 June: agreement between the DGPT, the DTI and the German MPT on DCS 1800 terminals
• 6 June: at the request of SFR, determination by the DGPT of tariffs for interconnecting mobile telephone operators to France Télécom's fixed network
• 16-17 June: hearings by the DGPT for the three groups of candidates for becoming the 3rd mobile telephone operator in France

• 9 June: seminar at the Senate on the future of French telecommunications, organised by Senator Larcher

• 14 June: announcement of a proposed global partnership between France Télécom, Deutsche Telekom and Sprint, the 3rd largest U.S. long-distance operator: project Phoenix
• 15 June: BT and MCI obtained the authorisation of the U.S. Justice Department and officially formed their joint subsidiary, Concert
• 22 June: alliance between AT&T and Unisource, which announced it was joining the WorldPartners consortium formed by AT&T, KDD Japan and Singapore Telecom
• 24-25 June: the European Summit at Corfu examined the "Bangemann Group" report and asked the European Commission to prepare a plan for a clear action policy on the information society

July 1994

• 28 July: the DGPT published the results of the latest invitations to tender to operate trunked radio networks

• 29 July: the first auction by the FCC of frequency bands for PCS services in the United States
• 31 July: Théry report on the information society delivered to the Prime Minister

• July: agreement of the German Parliament to privatise Deutsche Telekom, Postdienst and the Postbank
• 18 July: the FCC gave its approval to the agreement between MCI and BT to officially launch their joint subsidiary, Concert
• 19 July: the European Parliament rejected the draft ONP-voice telephony directive proposed by the Commission and the Council
• 19 July: the European Commission published a statement defining its Action plan "Towards an information society in Europe"

August 1994

• 3 August: the DGPT authorised a 5th data transmission service operator in France: Unisource
• 25 August: Bruno Lasserre submitted to the Minister his advisory report on the choice of a 3rd mobile telephone operator in France

• 22 August - 14 September: XXIst Congress of the Universal Postal Union in Seoul, which led to the institutional reform of the UPU

September 1994

• September: the DGPT initiated a public consultation on the supply and tariffs of lines leased from France Télécom
• 30 September: agreement on telecommunications terminal equipment: for the first time the DGPT granted a certificate of Complete Quality Assurance to the Alcatel Business Systems company

• 8 September: the Minister made public Marcel Roulet's report on the future of the France Télécom group
• 16 September: extension of the moratorium set by the Prime Minister suspending the closing or cutting back of public services in rural areas
• 20 September: commercial opening of the first ERMES radio paging service by Bouygues Télécom: Kobby.

• September: the United States Senate rejected the proposed Hollings law on telecommunications reform (which would have allowed telecommunications companies and cable operators to enter each other's markets)
• 19 September - 14 October: ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in Kyoto
• 28 September: the European Council of Ministers considered how to follow up on the Bangemann report, particularly how to open up the infrastructure

October 1994

• 4 October: as was proposed by the DGPT and agreed by the Prime Minister, the Minister announced the choice of the group led by Bouygues Télécom as the operator of the 3rd mobile telephone network in France
• 7 October: the DGPT issued an Order which in particular will loosen the general conditions regulating radio broadcasting

• 14 October: signing of the Contractual plan between the government and La Poste
• 14 October: substantial reduction of tariffs for lines leased from France Télécom
• 27 October: the interministerial committee on the information society set forth the French government's strategy in this area, based on the Théry report

• 13 October: the European Commission adopted a directive easing restrictions on satellite communications
• 25 October: the European Commission adopted Part One of the Green Paper on telecommunications infrastructure

November 1994

• 25 November: a call for proposals on the information society

• 17 November: the European Council of Ministers unanimously adopted a Resolution preparing for the opening up of telecommunications infrastructures, by 1 January 1998 at the latest

December 1994

• 2 December: for the first time, the DGPT took a decision to withdraw the licence granted an importer that was marketing non-approved telecommunications terminal equipment.
• 7 December: the DGPT authorised the Alcatel-Alsthom group to purchase a share of COFIRA, which controls SFR, the 2nd largest mobile telephone operator in France
• 16 December: publication by the DGPT of an advisory opinion on a 10-digit numbering system

• 7 December: seminar on the information society organised in Paris by the French administration
• 19 December: information day organised by the Ministry of Industry and Telecommunications concerning the call for proposals for the information society
• 13 December: report by the Government to Parliament on the information society

• 5 December: 2nd auction by the FCC of frequency bands in the United States for 99 licences for future mobile telephone operators
• 13 December: AT&T and Unisource announced the founding of a new communications company for Europe: Uniworld

January 1995

• 21 January: the MET Group (Matra Ericsson Commutation) announced 1994 sales of FF 1.461 billion, 35% of which was from exports
• 23 January: closing date for proposals on the information society
• 25 January: France Télécom announced estimated sales of FF 129 billion, reflecting growth of 1.6%
• 26 January: the state bank, Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, sold France Télécom cable operating companies, thus making it ipso facto the 3rd largest cable operator in France; La Lyonnaise des Eaux-Dumez purchased 16 networks from the Caisse des Dépôts and became the largest cable operator in France
• 31 January: the SAGEM Group announced 5% growth in its sales, which reached FF 13.7 billion (8 billion of which was accounted for by telecommunications)

• 10 January: BT and the German conglomerate Viag announced they are joining to form the "Viag InterKom" company on the German market
• 25 January: the European Commission adopted Part Two of the Green Paper on telecommunications infrastructures
• 25 January: the Thyssen Group announced it is joining with Bellsouth to form a company in Germany
• 27 January: Cable & Wireless and Veba signed a co-operation agreement that provides for Veba taking up to a 10% holding in the British operator
• 31 January: the Japanese Committee on Competition began a study of the possible dismantling of NTT

February 1995

• 1 February: the DGPT launched a monthly publication providing indicators from its mobile commnications market observatory

• 23 February: commercial opening of the 2nd ERMES radio paging service by TDR (from the Générale des Eaux group): Tam Tam
• 28 February: the interministerial committee on the information society decided to adopt 49 proposals out of the 635 submitted in response to the call for proposals

• 1 February: the German authorities announced a schedule for opening up the German telecommunications sector to competition
• 2 February: the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade, Larry Pressler, made public proposed legislation to open up telecommunications in the United States
• 9 February: the FCC eased the new restrictions on investments by non-American companies in the U.S. telecommunications sector
• 21 February: decision by the European Commission on the conditions regulating the activities of La Poste in the insurance sector
• 24-26 February: G7 Conference in Brussels on the information society