In 2013, France established the Plan France Très Haut Débit, which aimed to cover 100% of premises (households and workplaces etc.) with internet speeds over 30Mbps by the end of 2022, and offer speeds over 100Mbps by 2025.
French communications regulation authority Arcep (Autorité de régulation des communications électroniques, des postes et de la distribution de la presse) have developed an interactive online tool to show the internet connection available at each address, as the network evolves across the country.
Ma Connexion Internet (My Internet Connection) features a large map of France covered with coloured dots. Each colour represents the speed of available internet connection in a particular location:
Dark blue - 1Gbps and over (fastest)
Light blue - 100Mbps-1Gbps
Turquoise - 20Mbps-100Mbps
Green - 6Mbps-25Mbps
Yellow - 2Mbps-10Mbps
Orange - 0.5Mbps-4Mbps
Red - Ineligible for high-speed broadband
Clicking on a dot will show the available internet connection means, including fibre-optic, fixed 4G, cable, satellite, and DSL (digital subscriber line).
The maximum download and upload speed per internet provider (Bouygues, Free, Orange, SFR etc.) is also indicated for each internet option.
To locate a particular area, you can type the name of your commune and then your address into the search bar.
Arcep
If you would like to see information by general area rather than by individual address, you can click on the advanced display option and toggle the Statistiques par commune, département ou région tab.
This allows you to choose your own filters, including the desired internet speed, internet connection means, and the scale of the map.
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The colour of an area on the map indicates the percentage of addresses that meet your selected criteria:
Dark blue: 95-100%
Blue: 75-95%
Light blue: 50-75%
Light green: 25-50%
Salmon: 5-25%
White: 0-5%
Grey: Statistics unavailable
The Connexion verified the service by comparing the departments of Ardèche and Ile-de-France. Unsurprisingly, the Paris address had faster internet capabilities.
Arcep also offers an extremely detailed colour-coded map illustrating the rollout of fibre-optic networks, which can be found by clicking the déploiements fibre link at the top right corner of the webpage.
The fibre deployment map allows you to view information on each department and commune, as well as individual addresses when the map is zoomed in.
The colour of the dot over a particular address will indicate the current stage of the fibre installation process:
Grey - Assessments have been carried out
Yellow - Fibre installation is scheduled
Light blue - Fibre can be installed upon request
Dark blue - Fibre can be installed upon request (and has already been requested)
Black - Currently being installed
Green - Fibre has been fully deployed and can be connected to
By zooming out, the shaded colour of each commune indicates the percentage of addresses that have already been connected to a fibre network:
Dark blue: More than 80% already connected
Blue: 50-80%
Light blue: 25-50%
Light green: 10-25%
Salmon: 0-10%
White: None
Note that the date of the most recent site update is indicated beside the dernière maj (mise à jour) title.
The map also has an ‘advanced mode’, which you can toggle on and off to the right of the screen. This enables you to see more information about a specific area’s rollout progress.
Arcep has another tool that shows the mobile data coverage across the country. It is called Mon Reseau Mobile.
A series of colour-coded maps of France (with darker colours indicating better coverage), show which operators offer the best signal for making calls, sending texts and using mobile Internet.
The map titled, Zones à couvrir, shows areas that should gain coverage within the next 24 months.
Coverage can also be tested on certain major roads and transport lines, including TGVs, TERs and even metros in cities such as Paris, Lyon and Marseille.
