How can we get better internet at our new home in rural France?

Reader Question: Our new home in rural south-west France does not have a fibre connection, so we need alternative internet. We researched the nearest tower to us, which is operated by Orange, and ordered a 5G box for our home. It is taking several weeks to arrive, however, and we are concerned that the connection will be poor after talking to neighbours. What should we do? 

Many people who move to rural areas of France highlight issues with broadband internet, including through France’s major telecom companies such as Orange.

Aside from contacting Orange on its English-language helpline to discuss the matter, there are several options for installing internet in your home.  

Around 95% of French households and businesses had access to high-speed fibre internet by June 2026, with a target of 100% connectivity by 2030.

This means there is an ongoing rollout of fibre taking place across rural communities, but this can sometimes come with its own issues, and isolated areas continue to suffer from connection issues. 

There might also be the possibility of installing a traditional telephone line-based connection. 

Known as ADSL, these connections use the same copper wires originally installed for landline telephone services but are slowly being replaced by fibre in France.

Telecom companies will typically encourage you to opt for a different contract due to the planned end of ADSL internet, but cannot refuse to offer you such a contract if no other alternative is available and ADSL internet is still available in the commune.

You can check if these connections are still in place in your area using the connectivity map from Arcep, France’s telecoms regulator, here. You can also find the Arcep map for fibre connections here, showing how far fibre broadband has rolled out in your commune.  

However, the end to ADSL network connectivity is fast approaching, and sooner or later an alternative will be required at the property.

Alternative options

You mentioned that because your property does not yet have access to fibre, you have ordered a 5G box. 

These systems work by connecting directly to your nearest 5G antenna to provide internet to your home, and do not require a technician to set up the service but are ‘plug and play’. 

Contracts typically come with very high or unlimited data, as they are designed to be used for your entire property and not just a single object (such as a mobile phone). 

But the effectiveness of a 5G box depends on how far away the nearest tower is to your property and the quality of service it provides. 

It is worth noting that 5G towers can carry multiple operators, and in rural areas around 59% of towers are shared by multiple operators. 

If your issue is only with the provider (poor customer service, etc) but the connection is good, you can consider switching operators, especially if your issue lies more with the slow arrival of the box than the connection itself.

If you do not plan on using the 5G box for home devices (TVs, computers, etc), you could simply opt for a mobile phone plan that includes unlimited 5G data. 

Many French companies now offer unlimited internet as part of phone contracts, allowing you to stream or browse as much as you want on your device. 

If needed, your phone can be used as a ‘hotspot’ to other devices such as laptops, although doing this consistently is not recommended. 

Such contracts often come in the form of rolling subscriptions, meaning you do not need to subscribe for a set number of months (and can cancel once your box arrives or 5G connectivity improves).

Another option are so-called ‘Pocket WiFis,’ dongles that have a set amount of data available (or in some cases, unlimited data) and can be plugged in anywhere.

These can be good for second-home owners who only visit their property occasionally, cutting down on subscription costs, or people who move around and need internet in several locations as opposed to a single fixed address. 

However, these both rely on the same 5G connectivity that your 5G box does so if you find that your area has poor 5G connection, it is unlikely that these options will work for you.

Satellite internet

One popular alternative is satellite internet, where connection comes from overhead satellites as opposed to underground wires or data towers (sparse in rural areas). 

These can work both for household internet (for computers, smart TVs, etc), however in many cases do not work for mobile phones, unless the device is linked to the home WiFi network. 

While the most well-known company providing satellite internet service is Elon Musk’s Starlink, several other companies now provide this, including Orange itself. 

Traditionally, satellite internet services benefited rural homes with low to medium usage, however now they are becoming more common – and competitive – a range of options are available, covering households with all kinds of internet needs.

Note that installation requires you to point a dish at the sky with a clear line of sight, so ensure there is a suitable place on your property (often in the garden near the home) for this.