The Sophipolitan start-up has begun the works in Sophia Antipolis, Nice, Cannes and Marseille. Its goal: 40 circles over Europe within 5 years.
The race for high-flow networks has begun on the French Riviera. After Completel, Kast telecom Europe has followed. Madgy Houry, Kast telecom Europe CEO, the firm was founded in 1996 in Sophia Antipolis, announced the opening of the works of digital local circles in Sophia Antipolis, Nice and Marseille (16 km each) and in Cannes (13 km). Strong thanks to the merger realized last February with the Dutch Axxon, and as being a subsidiary of the Canadian group Hightpoint Telecom, Kast Telecom Europe has launched an investment program of about 250 million francs for infrastructure works across PACA, between Nice and Marseille.
The setting up of local circles will allow the firm to propose to small and middle-sized firms a complete range of services (voice, high flow internet) and applications (business gates). And, in addition with works in PACA, the firm has planned to put about 40 digital circles throughout Europe within 5 years. Madgy Houry recently declared that 23 of these circles would be opened from next year. They will be implanted in urban zones with a high economic and demographic growth. It corresponds to a 7 billion franc investment plan over 5 years.
This great offensive on European local circles should increase Sophipolitan jobs. Kast Telecom, which is settled in IMRA premises, Sophia, has 200 employees, among whom, 100 are in France in the technopole essentially. A recruitment plan for about 50 people has been launched (Sophia office should have to gather together 110 employees before the end of the year 2000), while the firm has planned to relocate in 5,000 m² premises still on the technopole. Its aim: between Nice and Sophia 400 employees at the end of 2003.