Nouvelle-aquitaine Thd

What Nouvelle-aquitaine Thd does

Nouvelle-Aquitaine THD (NATHD) is a Société Publique Locale (SPL) — a 100% publicly owned French infrastructure operator — created on March 20, 2015, to exploit and commercialize the public fiber optic network (Réseau d'Initiative Publique / RIP) built across the seven most rural departments of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region: Charente, Creuse, Corrèze, Dordogne, Landes, Lot-et-Garonne, and Haute-Vienne. As an Opérateur d'Infrastructure declared with ARCEP, NATHD operates a 100% FTTH/FTTE passive fiber network comprising approximately 750,000 connection points serving roughly 763,700 eligible addresses and 437,600 active subscribers, covering around 1.5 million inhabitants. Ownership is split 50/50 between the Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine and five departmental mixed syndicates (Charente Numérique, Dorsal, Périgord Numérique, Lot-et-Garonne Numérique, and SYDEC). The project is financed by approximately €1.3 billion in public capital (one-third French State, one-third Region and Departments/EPCI, one-third European/national subsidies), with a Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations equity participation of €979 million in concession companies nationally.

NATHD operates a strict wholesale B2B2C model under five Délégation de Service Public (DSP) contracts with its shareholder syndicates. The company does not sell fiber services directly to end users; instead, it provides standardized open-access infrastructure to approximately 9 consumer-facing commercial operators (including the four national ISPs — Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom, Free — plus 50 professional-focused operators) via a regulated service catalog (Opéra Home, Opéra Business, Opéra Office, Ligne FTTE, Ligne FTTH Passive, STOC contract). NATHD earns recurring monthly access fees of €9.90 per active connection (raised from approximately €5 under the 2015 ARCEP tariff framework), one-time connection fees of €358 (flat) or €3.29/month (smoothed), FSN subsidy income, network operation co-financing (~2% of revenue), and new-build adduction participation fees (~3% of revenue). Operational delivery is executed through La Fibre Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the dedicated Axione subsidiary serving as NATHD's industrial service provider. NATHD also pioneered the Raccordement de Service Public (RSP) model in 2022–2023, which allows the public entity to directly manage subscriber connections to preserve network quality, departing from the industry-standard STOC subcontracting model. The deployment phase reached near-completion by end-2025 with the network on track to replace the Orange copper network scheduled for full shutdown by 2030.

Name

Nouvelle-aquitaine Thd

Legal name

SPL NOUVELLE AQUITAINE THD

Website

https://nathd.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nouvelle-Aquitaine THD (NATHD) is a publicly owned French infrastructure operator that provides wholesale open-access to a 100% fiber network across 7 rural departments of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, serving ~750,000 connection points and 437,600 active subscribers via commercial ISPs ahead of the 2030 copper shutdown.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Fiber Infrastructure Services

NAICS

Wired Telecommunications Carriers (517111), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite) (5171)

SIC

Communications Services, Nec (4899)

akta.pro primary industry

Neutral-Host Fiber & Shared Access Network Operators (HDAIACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rural Broadband & Cooperative Fiber Operators (HDAIACAG), Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Operators (HDAIACAB)

Keywords

• Public fiber infrastructure
• FTTH network operations
• Wholesale fiber access
• Rural broadband deployment
• Telecom infrastructure services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bordeaux

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Recurring access fees from commercial operators (location passive): Commercial operators (OC) pay recurring monthly fees per fiber connection (prise) for access to NATHD's public fiber network. NATHD charges 9.90 € per month per connection (increased from approximately 5 €). This is the primary recurring revenue stream representing approximately 70% of total revenue. Operators also pay approximately 1.5 € per month per connection for access to Orange's copper infrastructure hosting (GC-BLO contract).
2. Connection/remotization fees (raccordement): One-time fees charged to commercial operators for connecting new subscribers to the fiber network. NATHD charges 358 € per connection in flat-fee mode (forfaitaire) or 3.29 € per month per connection in smoothed mode (lissé). Previously charged at approximately 250 € average per ARCEP 2015 guidelines. Commercial operators are responsible for the technical connection of their subscribers (STOC model).
3. FSN (Fonds pour le Société Numérique) subsidies: National subsidy funding from the Plan France Très Haut Débit program, contributed approximately 1/3 of initial construction investment. These subsidies partially offset connection costs.
4. Network life operations contributions (enfouissements/dévoiements): Commercial co-financing contributions from operators for network maintenance operations such as burial works and network relocations, representing approximately 2% of total revenue.
5. New construction adduction fees (adductions neuves): Participation fees from end users (new building owners) for fiber adduction work connecting new constructions to the public network, representing approximately 3% of total revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NATHD operates and commercializes a 100% public fiber optic network (FTTH/FTTE) deployed across the 7 most rural departments of Nouvelle-Aquitaine (Charente, Creuse, Corrèze, Dordogne, Landes, Lot-et-Garonne, Haute-Vienne). Under Delegation of Service Public contracts, the company provides wholesale open-access fiber infrastructure to authorized commercial operators (ISPs) and directly manages end-user subscriber connections through its proprietary Raccordement de Service Public (RSP) model.

Product overview

NATHD operates a unified public fiber infrastructure network (FTTH/FTTE) across 7 rural departments of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, providing wholesale access to commercial operators. The core offerings include Opéra Home (residential), Opéra Business and Opéra Office (business services), Ligne FTTE (enterprise connections), and Ligne FTTH Passive (infrastructure access). NATHD also manages the Raccordement de Service Public (RSP) program for direct end-user connections, and facilitates STOC arrangements where commercial operators subcontract connection work. The network serves approximately 750,000 lines with 9 mass-market operators and ~50 professional operators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Opéra Home Residential fiber service offering enabling commercial operators to provide internet, telephone, and television services to households via the public fiber network.
• Opéra Business Business fiber service offering with enhanced service quality guarantees, including guaranteed restoration times (GTR) for professional subscribers.
• Opéra Office Office-focused fiber service targeting professional workspace connectivity needs with dedicated business features.
• Ligne FTTE (Fiber To The Enterprise) Enterprise fiber line service integrating quality of service commitments for intervention time and service restoration in case of incidents.
• Ligne FTTH Passive Passive fiber optic line service for FTTH (Fiber to the Home) connectivity, part of the infrastructure access offerings for commercial operators.
• Contrat STOC (Sous-Traitance des Opérateurs Commerciaux) Subcontracting service where commercial operators delegate final fiber connections to end users to NATHD's industrial subcontractor.
• Raccordement de Service Public (RSP) Public service fiber connection program where NATHD directly manages and performs fiber connections to households and businesses in rural areas, offered free of charge to end users if they subscribe to a fiber service plan with a commercial operator within 4 months of the RSP connection.

Quantifiable outcome

• 750,000+ fiber lines deployed, exceeding the original project target (end-2025)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• La Fibre Nouvelle-Aquitaine (Axione)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2015La Fibre Nouvelle-Aquitaine is the dedicated industrial subsidiary of Axione, one of the leading fiber infrastructure operators in France. It serves as NATHD's primary industrial service provider for the exploitation and maintenance of the public fiber network across all 7 departments. The relationship is governed by a Prestation de service contract between NATHD and its industrial contractor.
• ARCEP (Autorité de Régulation des Communications Électroniques, des Postes et de la distribution de la presse)coreOthersARCEP is the independent French regulatory authority for electronic communications, posts, and press distribution. NATHD is a declared infrastructure operator (OI) under ARCEP's regulatory framework. NATHD has been in ongoing regulatory discussions with ARCEP since 2021 regarding tariff rebalancing, cost structure validation, and the structural deficit of rural public fiber networks. ARCEP published tariff guidelines in 2015 that governed NATHD's access pricing and has been conducting work since 2024 to update cost models.
• Charente NumériquecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharente Numérique is the departmental mixed syndicate (syndicat mixte numérique) responsible for the design and construction of the public fiber network in Charente department. It is one of NATHD's 5 shareholders, holding a proportional stake (jointly representing 50% of NATHD alongside the other 4 syndicates). Charente Numérique holds DSP concession contracts with NATHD for network operation.
• Dorsal (Syndicat Mixte Dorsal)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDorsal is the departmental mixed syndicate for Creuse, Corrèze, and Haute-Vienne departments, responsible for design and construction of the fiber network in those territories. It is one of NATHD's 5 shareholders (representing 50% of NATHD alongside the other 4 syndicates). Dorsal holds DSP concession contracts with NATHD for network operation in the 3 departments.
• Périgord Numérique (Syndicat Mixte Périgord Numérique)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPérigord Numérique is the departmental mixed syndicate for Dordogne, responsible for the design and construction of the public fiber network. It is one of NATHD's 5 shareholders (representing 50% of NATHD alongside the other 4 syndicates). Périgord Numérique holds DSP concession contracts with NATHD for network operation in Dordogne.
• Lot-et-Garonne NumériquecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLot-et-Garonne Numérique is the departmental mixed syndicate for Lot-et-Garonne department, responsible for the design and construction of the fiber network. It is one of NATHD's 5 shareholders (representing 50% of NATHD alongside the other 4 syndicates). It holds DSP concession contracts with NATHD for network operation.
• SYDEC (Syndicat Départemental des Énergies et des Commununications des Landes)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSYDEC is the departmental mixed syndicate for Landes department, responsible for the design and construction of the fiber network. It is one of NATHD's 5 shareholders (representing 50% of NATHD alongside the other 4 syndicates). SYDEC holds DSP concession contracts with NATHD for network operation in Landes.
• Région Nouvelle-AquitainecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRégion Nouvelle-Aquitaine is NATHD's primary shareholder, holding 50% of the company's shares. The Region initiated the creation of NATHD in 2015 as the public infrastructure operator for the rural fiber deployment in the most rural departments of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The Region leads collective action and advocacy at national level on RIP economic equilibrium issues.
• ANCT (Agence Nationale de la Cohésion des Territoires)majorOthersANCT is the French National Agency for Territorial Cohesion. NATHD has engaged with ANCT regarding RIP economic equilibrium, the impact of tariff increases on FSN subsidies, and collective advocacy. The Court of Auditors recommended ANCT support for local authorities in updating and validating their business plans for public fiber networks.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Axione: French fiber infrastructure operator (subsidiary of Bouygues) that deploys and operates public fiber networks (RIP) across multiple French regions. Axione's La Fibre Nouvelle-Aquitaine subsidiary is NATHD's direct industrial service provider, making it the closest operational peer.
• Altitude Infrastructure: Major French public fiber network operator (RIP) serving numerous rural départements through subsidiary DSPs. Operates an open-access wholesale model similar to NATHD, providing FTTH access to commercial operators across rural France.
• Covage: French wholesale fiber infrastructure operator (now part of SFR FTTH/Altice) operating RIP networks and enterprise fiber services. Provides open-access FTTH/B2B services to commercial operators in rural and mid-density areas, directly comparable to NATHD's model.
• Losange: Public fiber network operator (RIP) in the Grand Est region of France, deploying ~700,000 FTTH connections in rural areas. Operates an identical DSP/concession model with departmental syndicates, providing wholesale FTTH access to commercial operators.

Broad incumbents

• Open Fiber (Italy): Italian wholesale-only fiber network operator (majority state-owned) deploying FTTH across Italy under a similar wholesale open-access model. Comparable to NATHD in mandate (national fiber coverage), ownership structure (public), and business model (wholesale only).
• Orange (Open Wholesale Division): Incumbent French telecom operator providing wholesale access to its legacy copper and fiber networks. While primarily a retail carrier, Orange operates significant RIP-style wholesale infrastructure and competes with NATHD via its own fiber deployments and the GC-BLO copper hosting contract.

Regional players

• THD64: Public fiber network operator for Pyrénées-Atlantiques in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, neighboring NATHD's territory. Operates as a public SPL with similar RIP model, providing wholesale FTTH access to commercial operators in the remaining non-NATHD departments of Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

Emerging players

• Deutsche Glasfaser: German FTTH operator focused on rural and underserved areas, providing wholesale fiber access to ISPs. Similar to NATHD in rural market focus and open-access model, though privately owned and active in commercial rather than public deployment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nouvelle-aquitaine-thd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nouvelle-aquitaine Thd