landscape and biodiversity
We are aware of the visual impact of our infrastructures, and have been making
major efforts for several years, alongside local stakeholders, to integrate landlines
and relay masts into the landscape. We are also applying integration principles
into new sites and into the redevelopment of existing facilities.
In France, we have been part of the AFOM (Association
française des opérateurs mobiles) working group on landscape integration
best practices since 2003. In addition to solutions such as inter-operator site
sharing or setting up facilities on existing sites (water towers, buildings and
high points), we are implementing innovative engineering solutions and specific developments designed to make masts
less visible.
We use landscape architects to make masts as discreet as possible. To stimulate
creativity of landscape integration, an in-house challenge – “portrait of a mast”
– was launched in 2005 and repeated again in 2006. For landline infrastructure,
our efforts are focusing on the burial of lines. Since 2002 in France, more than
8,000 km of lines have been buried and more than 180,000 polls taken down. An
agreement signed with the French association of mayors (Association des maires
de France) and the national federation of licensing authorities (Fédération nationale
des collectivités concédantes et régies) aims to facilitate and accelerate the
implementation of this network burying policy. 31 million euros have been set
aside for the landscape integration of landline networks in 2006.
protecting wildlife
Hollow metal poles represent a danger for a considerable number of species of
birds and small mammals. So-called cavernicolous birds (tits, nuthatches, woodpeckers,
owls) and certain small mammals (squirrels, dormice) that usually nest in cavities,
can enter through the top of the pole and fall to the bottom of the tube, where
they become trapped.
To protect animals, we are blocking up metal poles in conjunction with several
environmental associations. In France, each year we carry out numerous visits
to make sure that all the poles are blocked off. After the agreement signed in
2005 with LPO Aquitaine, we signed a further agreement with LPO and Oiseaux-Nature
in 2006 to block off the 33,238 metal poles in the Lorraine region. As of the
end of 2006, 189,233 valves have been installed, of which 4,000 in Lorraine.
raising of used submarine cables
Numerous submarine cables are building up in our seas and oceans. Although they
do not represent a threat to the environment, FT Marine is offering its clients
the possibility to raise their cables at the end of their useful life in order
to fulfill their obligations. This service may even go as far as destroying cables
at the end of their useful life by an ISO 14001 certified company, recycling and
reusing materials where possible.
