Internet service providers received Lionel Jospin's support, who wishes an unlimited access (communications included) everywhere in the country.
On the occasion of the Internet Fair, a new offensive is lead in order to lower prices of connections. Thus many powerful managers have launched a petition –once does no harm-for the unlimited Internet access package. About thirty Internet service providers, (AOL, World Online) or content providers (Selftrade, Allocine, Yahoo), commercial websites (Kelkoo, Houra, Royal Canin) have claimed in an open letter to the government 'that public authorities and the regulator ask France Telecom to make the IFI in use sooner'
For France Telecom, the unlimited Internet access package consists in replacing a bill per minute by a global package, for which the price wouldn't change no matter the hours spent on the Internet. It is the case of the ADSL (tariff around 350 francs). However, this offer is far from covering the whole territory. The IFI would enable service providers to offer unlimited access for the overall RTC network in viable financial conditions. Until now, all package attempts including unlimited connections on the classical network (the last one was AOL's) have failed because of financial costs.
In a speech on Thursday March 1st in Matignon, at the moment of the opening of the Internet Fair, Lionel Jospin declared to be in favour of this demand. He wishes that an Internet access 'entirely unlimited on the overall of the country'will be offered before the end of summer 2001. Concerning the tariff of the package, the matter was underlined at the beginning of the year and the price of 200 francs per month was heard.