Orange France has announced that it will extend its 5G access initiative for all B2C and B2B subscribers until the end of September.
Initially set to end on 8 September, this upgrade continued throughout the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, allowing all 4G customers under the Orange and Sosh brands to benefit from 5G connectivity. The company’s services were crucial in ensuring seamless connectivity for the event while enhancing its energy efficiency and sustainability.
The extension comes after Orange’s network experienced record mobile traffic during the Olympics, with a peak of 1.86 Tbps in early August following the notable performances of French swimmer, Léon Marchand. This new record surpasses the previous peak set during the Euro 2024 semi-final between France and Spain.
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The French 5G Footprint
In tandem, the French 5G footprint has expanded significantly, with the number of 5G cell sites across mainland France increasing by 392 in August, bringing the total to 38,433 as of 1 September, according to the spectrum agency, ANFR. This follows a rise of 371 new sites in July.
Moreover, 5G is active (or ready for commercial service) at over 81% of the 47,337 infrastructure sites where operators have secured permits. More than 600 5G sites have been authorized in French overseas territories.
Société Française de Radiotéléphone (SFR) saw the most significant expansion in August, adding 272 new sites to reach 12,764 across the 2.1 and 3.5 GHz frequencies.
Free Mobile, a subsidiary of iliad, increased its 5G footprint by 199 sites, totaling 19,927 across the 700 MHz and 3.5 GHz frequencies.
As of the end of June, SFR reported 78% 5G population coverage, while Free Mobile’s coverage had risen to 93.9%, with 50.5% in the 3.5 GHz spectrum from around 6,500 sites.
Orange retained the largest 3.5 GHz network with 10,401 sites but ranked fourth in overall 5G coverage, adding 173 sites in August.
Bouygues Telecom expanded to 14,153 sites, with a monthly increase of 155, placing it second in the 5G footprint behind Free Mobile.
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