ARCEP has just delivered his study covers 3G and 4G mobile operators. The opportunity to discover the coverage rate of the population and the territory in 3G and 4G of four operators at December 31, 2014. Not surprisingly, Orange and Bouygues Telecom are neck and neck in terms of 4G coverage.
It is now several months that mobile operators do not communicate about their 4G coverage. The observatory ARCEP allows to know a little more, although the measures have been carried out in December 2014. Thus, according to audits of ARCEP on the ground, covered Orange there five months 72% of the population, 71% Bouygues Telecom, SFR and Free Mobile 53% 33%. In terms of coverage, the ranking changes slightly with Bouygues Telecom which precedes Orange (respectively 23 and 22%), both followed by SFR 14% and Free Mobile 3%.
Of course, operators have had ample time to develop their 4G network since December. This is especially true of Free Mobile, which increased by 63% the number of active antennas in 5 months, against 10% for SFR, Orange 9.6% and 6% for Bouygues Telecom. The numbers should be better overall and those of Free Mobile quite close to those of SFR. It should be noted that the SFR coverage takes into account the roaming agreement with Bouygues Telecom allow SFR customers, since last November, access to part of the 1800 MHz 4G Bouygues Telecom network. ARCEP also published coverage maps to give a visual idea. Finally, the coverage rate in population and area is available for each operator, department by department, in a large Excel file.
Yet 70% of the territory and 20% of the population to cover
ARCEP recalls that for 4G, there is still 70% of the territory and 20% of the population covered. Bouygues Telecom, SFR and Orange have until January 2017 to cover 40% of low density areas (areas representing 63% of the territory and 18% of the population). Free Mobile is not affected since it does not have frequencies in the 800 MHz band. Finally, ARCEP wishes that operators can offer enhanced coverage maps - including an indication of the quality of service as the call quality or flows in the area - and reliable (reliability of 4G cards is between 98.7 and 99.5% according to the operators, as indicated by the ARCEP).
The coverage 2G / 3G sifted
Regarding 3G, ARCEP also performed measurements in December 2014. Orange takes the top spot with 99% population coverage and 91% of the territory. It is followed by SFR, Free Mobile and finally Bouygues Telecom with respectively 99, 98 and 97% of population covered and 92, 82 and 80% of the territory covered. The results of Free Mobile reflect the roaming agreement with Orange. Still, coverage rates are different between the two operators since in the white areas, Free Mobile has no access to homelessness when SFR or Bouygues Telecom covers the area instead of Orange.
It is now several months that mobile operators do not communicate about their 4G coverage. The observatory ARCEP allows to know a little more, although the measures have been carried out in December 2014. Thus, according to audits of ARCEP on the ground, covered Orange there five months 72% of the population, 71% Bouygues Telecom, SFR and Free Mobile 53% 33%. In terms of coverage, the ranking changes slightly with Bouygues Telecom which precedes Orange (respectively 23 and 22%), both followed by SFR 14% and Free Mobile 3%.
Of course, operators have had ample time to develop their 4G network since December. This is especially true of Free Mobile, which increased by 63% the number of active antennas in 5 months, against 10% for SFR, Orange 9.6% and 6% for Bouygues Telecom. The numbers should be better overall and those of Free Mobile quite close to those of SFR. It should be noted that the SFR coverage takes into account the roaming agreement with Bouygues Telecom allow SFR customers, since last November, access to part of the 1800 MHz 4G Bouygues Telecom network. ARCEP also published coverage maps to give a visual idea. Finally, the coverage rate in population and area is available for each operator, department by department, in a large Excel file.
Yet 70% of the territory and 20% of the population to cover
ARCEP recalls that for 4G, there is still 70% of the territory and 20% of the population covered. Bouygues Telecom, SFR and Orange have until January 2017 to cover 40% of low density areas (areas representing 63% of the territory and 18% of the population). Free Mobile is not affected since it does not have frequencies in the 800 MHz band. Finally, ARCEP wishes that operators can offer enhanced coverage maps - including an indication of the quality of service as the call quality or flows in the area - and reliable (reliability of 4G cards is between 98.7 and 99.5% according to the operators, as indicated by the ARCEP).
The coverage 2G / 3G sifted
Regarding 3G, ARCEP also performed measurements in December 2014. Orange takes the top spot with 99% population coverage and 91% of the territory. It is followed by SFR, Free Mobile and finally Bouygues Telecom with respectively 99, 98 and 97% of population covered and 92, 82 and 80% of the territory covered. The results of Free Mobile reflect the roaming agreement with Orange. Still, coverage rates are different between the two operators since in the white areas, Free Mobile has no access to homelessness when SFR or Bouygues Telecom covers the area instead of Orange.