ORANGE, the owner of the copper network infrastructure, has begun the phased closure of this network after more than fifty years of service.
Over the last twenty years, the copper network has, in particular, been used to provide Internet access via ADSL. It enabled power stations to transmit their data to monitoring systems and, above all, to control the facilities remotely.
As this network is now obsolete, the telecommunications infrastructure needs to be modernised. This involves connecting the equipment to the fibre-optic network where available or, failing that, to the GSM mobile network. A satellite link may also be installed to provide redundancy for the communication link.
Since the start of 2026, VALEMO has already modernised around 50 sites. This modernisation includes, in particular:
- coordination with the Internet service provider (ISP), in particular regarding the provision of the router;
- the installation of new equipment, such as a mobile phone mast and a satellite dish;
- the configuration of the equipment and the allocation of the necessary IP addresses.
It is important to note that the technical decommissioning of the copper network will take place in stages between 31 January 2027 and November 2030. Over the coming months, some generation sites may therefore no longer be able to communicate with operators and aggregators. This situation is likely to result in production losses, significant penalties and major operational constraints.
We therefore invite you to plan ahead for this deadline by letting us know your modernisation requirements as soon as possible.