19
Non-Financial Indicators Handbook -
2013
-
VIVENDI
Societal Indicators
4
Local, Economic and Social Impact of Business Activity
■
4.2.3. Contributing to Territorial Digital Development
Vivendi is committed to combating the digital divide. Its
telecommunications subsidiaries are substantially investing in
expanding their networks and their product offerings to make content
and information technologies accessible to as many people as possible.
In this way, they contribute to national digital development policies in
the territories in which they operate.
This contribution is measured by two indicators:
the number of rural or remote communities covered during the year,
which the Group monitors for its telecom subsidiaries. In 2013,
3,700 rural or remote communities were covered by SFR and Maroc
Telecom. The decline in the number of communities compared with
the previous year does not reflect decreasing commitment by the
two operators to the territory digital development; it is automatically
adjusted to indicate the current state of advancement of these
programs. Moreover, GVT is a recent operator in Brazil and so it
is currently focusing its development activities on rolling out its
network in Brazil’s cities;
the percentage of the population covered by the telephony network
is monitored for the three operators, and shows that SFR and Maroc
Telecom are key players in their countries, with networks covering
almost the entire population. GVT is maintaining its pace of growth
as it now covers more than 20% of the Brazilian population,
confirming its position as a dynamic young operator.
Number of rural and/or remote communities covered
in the year
GRI
UNGC
OECD
2.7, TSS IO2, PA1 1,2
IV, IX.1
2013
2012
Consolidated data
3,700
4,196
SFR
3,155
GMT
545
Percentage of population covered by telephony network
GRI
UNGC
OECD
2.7, TSS PA4
1,2
IV
2013
2012
GVT
20.6%
18%
SFR
99.7%
99.6%
GMT
99%
98.2%
In addition to these two indicators, the contribution by the subsidiaries
of the Vivendi Group to digital development in its countries and regions
is also shown by a number of initiatives:
in January 2013, GVT launched a new offering that allows its
customers to benefit from one of highest speeds in the world
(25 Mbit/s), much higher than the average Internet speed in Brazil
(2.2 Mbit/s);
one year after launching 4G in France for individuals and businesses,
SFR reached its ambitious goal and now covers more than 40% of
the population in 4G, which, as of December 31, 2013, represents
1,200 cities opened to 4G.
Furthermore, in connection with the digital development project
being implemented by the Departmental Council of Hauts-de-Seine
(THD Seine), designed to make very high-speed Internet accessible
to all by 2015, in December 2013, Sequalum (a Numericable
Group subsidiary) and SFR signed an agreement to serve 160,000
households in ten cities of
Hauts-de-Seine
;
Maroc Telecom has made reducing the digital divide one of the
major objectives of its sustainable development policy
For years, the operator has made significant investments in fixed
and mobile networks, making telephones and Internet accessible
to the greatest possible number of people. It uses all available
technologies and makes use of renewable energy to cover the
most remote regions, seeking a fair balance between economic
competitiveness, social progress and respect for the environment.
One of Maroc Telecom’s major objectives is to use new technologies
to serve all populations, especially rural communities, to facilitate
their access to communications, culture, knowledge, health and the
media.
In 2013, under the Telecommunications Access Program (PACTE),
Maroc Telecom covered 346 new rural communities, raising the total
number of communities covered since the program was launched
in 2008 to 7,155. Moreover, 8 new communities were covered in
Gabon, 20 in Mauritania, 38 in Burkina Faso and 133 in Mali. At
year-end 2013, this raised telephone coverage of the population to
97% in Gabon, 94.3% in Mauritania, 93% in Burkina Faso and 78%
in Mali.
