France - Mobile Infrastructure, Broadband, Operators - Statistics and Analyses

The French mobile phone market is one of the largest in Europe. The network operators Orange, SFR Group, Bouygues Telecom and Free Mobile have invested in network infrastructure and technologies in recent years. LTE-A providing data at above 300Mb/s has extensive coverage, while both Orange and Bouygues Telecom are involved in 5G trials. The regulator has also been supportive, issuing two 5G trial licences for use of spectrum in the 3.5GHz band in anticipation of that technology coming into commercial use from 2019.

Competition among the MNOs and a large number of MVNOs has caused mobile services revenue to fall steadily. This pressure has encouraged operators to look to convergence and bundled services, and so expand their offerings beyond mobile voice and data.

This report provides key statistics and analyses on the French mobile voice and data market. It assess recent developments related to spectrum licensing and regulatory issues, and profiles the major players and MVNOs, providing statistics on their operating and financial performance as well as their strategies in an increasingly fierce competitive market.

Key developments:

Altice considers sale of SFR unit;
Bouygues and SFR permitted to use 2.1GHz spectrum for LTE;
Orange partners with Ericsson and Nokia to develop a path to 5G;
Orange Group opens Orange Bank;
Regulator consults on revised guidelines for mobile network sharing;
Regulator progresses with 2.6GHz and 3.5GHz spectrum use for 5G;
MVNO market share increases to 11.1% of subscribers;
Virgin Mobile merges operations with SFR;
Report update includes the regulator's market data to March 2018, operator data to Q1 2018, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report:

Orange, SFR, Free Mobile, Bouygues Telecom, Virgin Mobile, Omea Telecom.