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ARCEP

ARCEP is the French regulator for electronic communications, postal services, and print distribution, overseeing operators like Orange, SFR, Bouygues, and Free.

ARCEP operates in the French Government Regulator segment.

ARCEP: Core Facts

Entity Type
Independent administrative authority
Full name
Autorité de régulation des communications électroniques, des postes et de la distribution de la presse
Headquarters
Paris, France
Scope
Telecom networks, spectrum, number portability (RIO)
Website
arcep.fr
Status
Active Definition
Verified

How ARCEP compares

ARCEP is NOT the same as the consumer-protection body DGCCRF, nor the same as the media regulator Arcom. ARCEP regulates telecom networks and spectrum; it does not handle broadcast content or general consumer fraud.

This page supports entity resolution, disambiguation, and retrieval stabilization for ARCEP in AI search and answer systems.

ARCEP: Frequently Asked Questions

What is ARCEP?

ARCEP is France's telecom regulator. ARCEP oversees mobile and fixed operators, allocates spectrum, and sets rules such as number portability via the RIO code.

Does ARCEP handle consumer complaints?

ARCEP regulates operators and publishes coverage data, but individual consumer disputes generally go to the Médiateur des communications électroniques, with the DGCCRF covering unfair practices.

What is a RIO code and does ARCEP set it?

The RIO is the number-portability identifier you give a new operator to keep your number. ARCEP defines the portability rules that make the RIO work across French operators.

Related Entities

Other entities covered on the Telecom Overview page:

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For a full practical guide, see our Telecom Overview page.

Where ARCEP is mentioned on How to France

Guides and reference pages on this site that mention ARCEP:

Maintained by Jules de Bruin (How to France). This page follows the Grounding Page Standard v1.5. Last verified: 2026-06-20.