 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Telecommunications in France" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(May 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Telecommunications in France are highly developed. France is served by an extensive system of automatictelephone exchanges connected by modern networks offiber-optic cable,coaxial cable,microwave radio relay, and a domestic satellite system; cellular telephone service is widely available, expanding rapidly, and includesroaming service to foreign countries.
The telephony system employs an extensive system of modern network elements such as digitaltelephone exchanges,mobile switching centres,media gateways andsignalling gateways at the core, interconnected by a wide variety of transmission systems usingfibre-optics orMicrowave radio relay networks. Theaccess network, which connects the subscriber to the core, is highly diversified with different copper-pair, optic-fibre and wireless technologies. The fixed-line telecommunications market is dominated by the former state-owned monopolyFrance Telecom.
As of 2009[update], France had 36.441 million main lines in use, with 35.5 million of those inmetropolitan France.[citation needed][needs update]
 | This sectionis inlist format but may read better asprose. You can help byconverting this section, if appropriate.Editing help is available.(November 2025) |
Satelliteearth stations – 2Intelsat (with total of 5 antennas – 2 for Indian Ocean and 3 for Atlantic Ocean), NAEutelsat, 1Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region); HF radiotelephone communications with more than 20 countries
 | This article'sfactual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(March 2024) |
Internet in France has been available to the general public since 1994, but widespread Internet use did not take off until the mid-2000s. As of 31 December 2014, France had 26 million Internet broadband and high-speed connections on fixed networks. In 2014, 80.7% of French households (22.5 million households) had Internet access (47 million users in January 2015, according toMédiamétrie[1]), while 19.3% did not (5.4 million households, out of a total of 27.8 million households).[2]
In 2014, 82% of French people aged 12 and over had Internet access at home (even though only 77% used it), and 64% of French people aged 12 years and older connected daily to the Internet from home. Considering all connections locations (not only the home), 83% of French people were Internet users.[3]
In metropolitanFrance, intense competition betweenInternet service providers has led to the introduction of moderately-priced high speedADSL up to 28 Mbit/s (ATM),VDSL2 up to 100 Mbit/s, andFTTX up to 1 Gbit/s from €26 per month.[4] They often include other services such as unlimited freeVoIPtelephone communications to land lines, anddigital television.Dial-up internet access is considered outdated.
Since around 2003, quotas have been seen as outdated and consequently all the fixed broadband internet offers in France are unmetered.France currently has 4 mobile networks,Orange,SFR,Bouygues Telecom andFree all of which are licensed for UMTS. All except Free are also licensed for GSM. In 2016 Q3, Orange had 28.966 million mobile phone customers, SFR had 14.577 million, Bouygues had 12.660 million, Free Mobile had 12.385 million, and the MVNOs had 7.281 million.[5]
Before the launch of Free Mobile in January 2012, the number of physical mobile phone operators was very limited. For example,Sweden currently has 4 licensed operators with their own networks despite a smaller and sparser population than France's, making improved coverage less economically rewarding. However, France has a number ofMVNOs which increases competition.
However,Free Mobile obtained its licence in December 2009 and operates since January 2012.[6]
In France, the satellite telecommunications system TELECOM 1 (TC1) will provide high-speed, broadband transfer of digital data between different sections of subscribing companies. Conventional telecommunications links between continental France and its overseas departments will also be supplied.
