-
Orange to offer French satellite internet service ‘to rival Starlink’
It will be aimed mainly at people living in remote areas who cannot otherwise access high-speed internet. Rates will be €49.99 a month
-
Orange fined record €26m for fibre optic rollout failures in France
The telecoms giant disputes the decision by the national regulator
-
Map: best and worst areas in France for fibre optic connection
Network operators named and shamed by regulator as fibre rollout marred by complaints of poor connections
France's major investment in telecommunication
I am aware that France is in the middle of a major investment in its telecommunication network. How soon will this affect the average customer like me?
The first sign will be for those wanting to have a new line. Analogue line installations have ceased and a new service is offered. Most homes that already have a line will not be moved on to it until 2023.
This is something those able to have a fast broadband service (2Mbps) already use. Known as VOIP, all their calls are carried by their broadband service, which has the benefit of no monthly line rental.
It is possible these improvements will not reach all those in rural locations. They will be offered a connection to the national network using a 4G box but this will require a good 4G signal to be present.
For those in urban areas, the Fibre To The Home service continues to expand. This is much faster and generally more stable. It is perfect for those who enjoy gaming and downloading films, although it will come at a higher cost. For now, Orange and SFR are the only owners/operators of the fibre networks, with UKTelecom partnering with SFR to bring it to eligible customers.
Many other companies will make similar arrangements so you may not have to change to sign up.
There have been some other significant changes at SFR. They have been buying TV channels and have reached an agreement with Netflix (access to the French film library) to provide video on demand and they have exclusive broadcasting rights for major football competitions. Telecom companies that partner with SFR, as we do, will be able to offer subscriptions.
There may be further changes as telecom firms move towards a broader entertainment service.
Question answered by Bob Elliott from the telephone and broadband provider, UK Telecom. See uktelecom.net for more information on their services in France
If you have a query on this topic send it to news@connexionfrance.com