A new ranking of the best internet providers in France has been published, with Bouygues Telecom topping the list for both fixed and mobile connections.
The study, by internet speed test expert nPerf, was published in January 2026, and is based on tests performed in 2025 across the country. It evaluated internet speed, fixed and mobile connections, latency (the "wait time" for online requests), and real-life usage results.
It considered results for activities and connections such as 5G performance, browsing speed and fluidity, YouTube streaming continuity, delay over video and voice calls, upload speeds for sharing large files and taking part in video calls and conferences without issues.
The results were based on 2,445,675 Wi-Fi connection tests, and 1,239,174 mobile internet tests.
Best fixed connection
Bouygues Telecom won out for fixed connections, mainly due to its strong Wi-Fi connections, at an average download speed of 491.07 Mbps (megabits per second), and a latency of 12.31 milliseconds, scoring well for web navigation and video streaming.
Data from internet service comparison website Ariase supports this finding, showing that Bouygues Telecom is also the “most performing” provider when it comes to domestic Wi-Fi connections.
The network has topped the nPerf ranking for seven consecutive years for fixed connections.
NPerf calculates the ranking by averaging all of the average download and upload speeds measured over the period, taking into account all packages offered by the operator, regardless of price.
“This means that the indicator represents the average user experience for each of the operators present,” nPerf states.
Best mobile connection
Bouygues Telecom also topped the list for mobile connections, with a low latency of 30.15 milliseconds, and “solid performances” for web navigation and video streaming. It also scored well for connection stability and overall speed, as well as having the best performances on its 5G network.
This is the first year that Bouygues has hit the top spot for mobile connections.
The study looks at mobile download speed, upload speed, browsing performance, video streaming performance and latency.
Again, it only considers networks with national coverage, and only carries out tests with 4G compatible devices or above.
Fixed and mobile ranking
The full ranking, showing the other three major providers, was as follows:
RANKING: Bouygues Telecom tops both fixed and mobile internet performance in FranceBouygues Telecom / Orange / Free / SFR / Canva
Orange scored well for download speed for mobile connections, but Bouygues and SFR won out for other criteria, including connection stability.
Around 93% of households in France are connected to the internet, but speed and connection quality can still vary considerably depending on location, with connections up to 66% slower in rural areas than urban, one consumer study has shown.
Similarly, work to end the usage of copper wire internet (ADSL) in France is continuing, although millions still use it.
Some in rural France have turned to other providers, including Starlink, in a bid to get high-speed connections that would not be possible through other means.
