In France, mobile operators currently offer 5G services through spectrum in the 700 MHz, 2.1 GHz, and 3.5 GHz bands.
According to the latest monthly report published by the French frequency and communications agency ANFR, France had a total of 39,895 certified 5G sites as of April 1, of which 30,460 sites were technically certified by local carriers. has been declared operational.
The Frequency Agency highlighted that the number of certified 5G sites increased by 1.4% in March compared to the previous month. The agency also said that nearly all 5G sites are licensed with existing mobile sites already in use with 2G, 3G or 4G technology.
In France, mobile operators currently offer 5G services through spectrum in the 700 MHz, 2.1 GHz and 3.5 GHz bands.
According to ANFR, a total of 21,474 sites have been approved in the 700MHz band (free mobile), of which 16,706 sites are already technically operational. ANFR also stated that 17,449 sites (Bouygues Telecom, Orange, SFR) have been authorized in the 2.1GHz band, while 11,567 sites are technically operational.
Meanwhile, 25,171 sites (Bouygues Telecom, Free Mobile, Orange, SFR) have been licensed in the 3.5 GHz band, of which 17,525 sites have been declared technically operational.
As of the end of March, Free Mobile had the highest number of 5G sites in operation with 16,610, followed by Bouygues Telecom (9,977), SFR (8,589), and Orange (5,843).
According to ANFR, some of the approved 5G sites are shared by mobile phone operators.
Additionally, as of April 1, 60,330 4G sites were licensed in mainland France, of which 55,472 were providing service.
Free Mobile, a subsidiary of Iliad, said its 5G footprint currently covers 89% of the country’s population, according to its website. Free Mobile said its 5G network now reaches 9,778 municipalities across France.
Free Mobile uses frequencies in the 700 MHz band for its 5G network, as well as frequencies in the 3.5 GHz band, which Free acquired in the French spectrum auction in 2020.
Meanwhile, Bouygues Telecom launched 5G in 20 cities across France in December 2020. Currently, the telecommunications company offers its 5G services in around 12,000 towns and municipalities across France. The big cities where the telco is offering his 5G include Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Nice, Nantes, Montpellier, Strasbourg, Bordeaux and Lille.
French telecommunications company Orange has already deployed 5G in around 900 municipalities across the country, covering 38% of the population in metropolitan areas. Some of the cities that Orange’s 5G network will initially cover include Marseille, Nice, Le Mans and Angers. Orange launched commercial 5G services in 15 municipalities in early December 2020.
Meanwhile, SFR launched its first 5G commercial network in Nice in November 2020. According to the company’s website, SFR currently provides 5G services in 6,200 municipalities across France.
