Arcep FttH observatory 2026 (8th edition): 0.12% outage rate, but Iliad (Free) still lagging behind

On 21 July 2026, Arcep published the 8th edition of its observatory on the quality of fibre-to-the-home (FttH) networks, based on data collected up to March 2026. The overall picture remains encouraging — France still has one of the most resilient fibre networks in Europe — but the regulator points to a continued deterioration of networks operated by Iliad (Free), extending the trend already flagged in the 7th edition from July 2025, which led to a formal notice being issued to ROF, Iliad's fibre subsidiary in charge of very dense areas.

What this 8th edition measures

The observatory tracks three complementary dimensions of quality, measured across 46 networks covering around 13 million premises (≈ 30% of the national FttH estate):

1. End-user-perceived quality: outage rate, downtime, share of subscribers hit by at least one incident over the past twelve months.
2. Compliance with industrial processes during connections: failure-to-connect rate, quality of interventions, defect remediation lead time.
3. User experience: web browsing quality, latency, effective throughput during peak hours.

A new feature of this edition: the scope of the "connection" indicator has been extended to XpFibre networks in less dense areas, which raises the sample from 38 to 46 monitored networks and enables a finer reading of quality outside major urban areas.

The outage rate stabilises at 0.12%

Over the October 2025 – March 2026 period, the average outage rate on FttH networks in mainland France stands at 0.12% of active access lines. That level is almost identical to the 7th edition (0.11%), but represents a structural improvement over the 0.17% observed in 2023. In practice, a fibre subscriber is offline on average less than one minute per 14 hours of subscription — a record.

Two contextual points temper this figure:

• The number of networks exceeding the critical 1% outage threshold has collapsed: from 9 networks in 2023 to only 2 today.
• The February 2026 storms in Nouvelle-Aquitaine temporarily pushed indicators up without affecting the underlying trend. This is a useful signal: fibre proves more weather-resilient than feared, even though outages linked to extreme events remain concentrated in a few départements.

Connections: 6.27% failures, but the landscape is polarising

The indicator most closely watched by operators and local authorities is the failure-to-connect rate: the share of appointments where the building operator (OI) was unable to activate the customer's line. The national average reaches 6.27% in March 2026, but this average hides a growing polarisation:

• 49 networks are now below the 5% threshold, compared with 82 in the previous edition.
• 41 networks still exceed 11% failures, concentrated on the public-initiative networks (RIP) operated by Altitude Infra, Axione, Covage and XpFibre.

This polarisation reflects a growing heterogeneity between mature networks in large urban areas and rural or peri-urban networks still being densified. For a subscriber, this means a connection failure remains statistically likely, and that you should keep your intervention reference number to quickly follow up with the operator if needed.

Iliad (Free) and ROF: the December 2025 formal notice produces its first effects

The most keenly awaited item in this 8th edition concerns Iliad (Free) and its subsidiary ROF, which operates the fibre network in very dense areas (ZTD) — Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Bordeaux, etc. Arcep had put ROF on formal notice in December 2025, after several quarters of continuous deterioration, and set it a compliance commitment to be met before end-2026.

The 8th edition takes stock at the halfway point:

• Outage indicators on ROF networks remain above the national average, despite a slight positive inflection in the last quarter.
• Connection indicators are also among the most degraded, particularly in ZTDs where subscriber density is highest.
• The compliance commitment made by Iliad provides for a structural network modification plan (architecture migration, replacement of active equipment) that must be completed by 31 December 2026.

For Free subscribers in very dense areas, this still translates into sporadic micro-outages, connection appointments sometimes postponed and, in some buildings, longer activation lead times. If you are affected, two reflexes: test your line on wired Ethernet to isolate the problem from Wi-Fi, and mention the public observatory data in your written complaint to Free — this often speeds up handling.

Photo: Unsplash — maintenance interventions account for a growing share of Arcep's FttH indicators.

The "good students": Orange, certain RIPs and XpFibre

At the other end of the spectrum, Arcep identifies several networks that now serve as benchmarks in the observatory:

• RIPs operated by Orange (Public Initiative Networks) often display an outage rate lower than or equal to 0.10%, among the best results on the market.
• Certain Altitude, Axione and XpFibre networks also stand out for their stability, particularly in the less dense areas newly included in the observatory's scope.
• The vast majority of the 46 networks tracked are now below the 0.5% outage threshold, a sign of overall market maturity.

This snapshot allows us to put Iliad's poor performance in perspective: it is not structural to French fibre, it is localised to one operator and one type of area. Orange, Bouygues Telecom and SFR subscribers continue to enjoy a very stable experience, with incident rates well below 1% per access per year.

Defect remediation: 88% in under 30 days

A notable piece of good news concerns defect remediation: a defect identified on a mutualisation point or a branch (bent cable, faulty splice, missing label) that degrades service quality over time. The 8th edition indicates that 88% of defects are now fixed in under 30 days, up from 82% in August 2025.

This is a long-term maintenance indicator that has been improving steadily for three years, showing that the market — both operators and subcontractors — has taken the issue seriously. For a subscriber, this means fewer recurring outages in the medium term and better line durability over time.

What does (or doesn't) change for Texto SMS Gratuit users

For our readers, the quality of the underlying fibre network has a direct but limited impact: Texto SMS Gratuit works from any browser, and a stable connection improves the deliverability of messages, especially for recurring sends from a fixed terminal. If you notice recurring micro-outages, two simple reflexes:

• Identify your network on Ma connexion internet (Arcep) to find out whether your address is on an Iliad/ROF, Altitude, Axione or Orange-operated RIP network.
• Test your line by plugging a PC into wired Ethernet: if the problem disappears, it's your Wi-Fi; if it persists, report it to your operator explicitly citing the public figures from this 8th edition.

For everyday uses — sending an SMS from the homepage, checking offers or contact — fibre remains by far the most reliable medium, and the figures from this 8th edition confirm it.

What to take away from the 8th edition

• National average outage rate: 0.12%, stable compared with the 7th edition but in structural improvement since 2023.
• Failure-to-connect rate: 6.27% on average, with growing polarisation between mature and rural networks.
• Iliad (Free) and its ROF subsidiary continue to deteriorate, under a formal compliance commitment to be met before end-2026 following the December 2025 formal notice.
• RIPs operated by Orange and certain XpFibre / Axione networks set the market benchmark.
• 88% of defects are now corrected in under 30 days, a sign of long-term maintenance progress.
• The observatory's scope extends to 46 networks (≈ 13 million premises, ≈ 30% of the FttH estate).

To dig deeper, you can consult the official FttH observatory page on Arcep's website, re-read our analysis of the 7th edition of the FttH observatory or write to us if you experience a persistent outage on your line.