French regulator Arcep has launched a public consultation on the future of the wholesale market for terrestrial audiovisual broadcasting services, as the role of digital terrestrial television continues to weaken against broadband-based delivery.
The consultation centres on Arcerp’s Assessment and Outlook for the Wholesale Market for Terrestrial Audiovisual Broadcasting Services, which reviews the competitive position of the DTT transmission market and considers its prospects as alternative forms of audiovisual distribution and consumption continue to grow.
Arcep is also seeking views on a set of commitments submitted by TDF, the leading terrestrial audiovisual broadcasting operator, for the next regulatory cycle.
DTT in France remains subject to minimum coverage obligations, requiring national television services to reach at least 95% of the population. However, the regulator said the platform’s position in the television market continues to decline as households increasingly turn to broadband and very high-speed networks for video consumption.
Television delivery in France is spread across several infrastructures including DTT, satellite, cable, ADSL and fibre. Arcep noted that ADSL and fibre-based distribution can either be managed by the internet service provider as IPTV, or delivered independently over the public internet as OTT services.
IPTV has become the dominant broadband television model in France, supported by the widespread take-up of triple play offers from internet service providers. According to Arcep, audiovisual consumption via IPTV has exceeded terrestrial television since 2017, and the regulator expects this shift away from DTT to continue as high-speed and very high-speed network coverage expands further.
Despite these wider structural changes, Arcep said the competitive landscape in the terrestrial broadcasting market has remained broadly stable compared with the previous review period.
Competition remains limited, with TowerCast the only alternative terrestrial broadcaster. At the end of 2025, TowerCast was transmitting around 30.1% of service points, having focused its replication strategy on the complementary network.
Against this backdrop, TDF has submitted a proposed set of commitments to Arcep. The commitments would take effect once adopted by the regulator in a binding decision and would remain in force for 5 years.
Arcep said the consultation is intended to gather stakeholder feedback both on its assessment of the current and future regulatory framework for the wholesale terrestrial broadcasting market and on the commitments proposed by TDF.
Interested parties have until May 4, 2026 to respond. Following the consultation, Arcep said it will publish a draft decision for a further round of public consultation.
