A new certificate called 'Broadband for all' ('haut débit pour tous' in French) was launched on 3 December 2009 by the Minister for Rural Spaces, Town and Country Planning, Michel Mercier, the Minister for Industry, Christian Estrosi, and the Secretary of State in charge of Forward Planning and the Development of the Digital Economy, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet.

This initiative aims to encourage the development of economically and technically satisfactory offers for broadband Internet access. This plan will thus enable users to easily identify - via the 'haut débit pour tous' website - various offers for broadband access around France for a maximum price of €35 per month, with the equipment included. So far, several operators have already expressed their interest in the 'Broadband for all' certificate and in proposing offers in line with the aforementioned financial and technical specifications.

According to the figures of June 2009, while more than 18.6 million households have already subscribed to broadband Internet, around 2 % of households live in areas that are not served by a fiber-based broadband service (DSL or cable). The launch of this certificate complements the government's initiatives for the spread of broadband throughout metropolitan France; in this regard, on 23 October 2009 a call for tender of €30 million of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) was launched for the development of broadband connection in rural areas.

The French government with its 'Digital France 2012' plan pursues the objective to equip all French households with an internet connection of at least 512 Kbit/s by the end of 2012.

It is furthermore worth noting that on 18 January 2010, the Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Employment and the Delegation for Territorial Planning and Regional Action (DATAR) jointly launched a public consultation on the deployment of the 'High-speed Broadband' ('très haut débit' in French) programme. The consultation document will remain open until 26 February 2010. 

Further information:

• Official Press Release - Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Employment (in French)
• 'Haut débit pour tous' website (in French)
• Public consultation on national progamme 'Très haut débit' (in French)
• Très haut debit consultation document (in French)
• FR: Digital France 2012 - ePractice Library