2018 France - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Last updated: 26 Nov 2018 Update History

Report Status: Archived

Report Pages: 200

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

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Summary
Table Of Contents

Publication Overview

This report provides a comprehensive overview of trends and developments in France’s telecommunications market. The report analyses the fixed-line, mobile and broadband sectors. Subjects include:

Market and industry analyses, trends and developments;
Facts, figures and statistics;
Industry and regulatory issues;
Infrastructure developments;
Major Players, Revenues, Subscribers, ARPU, MoU;
Mobile Voice and Data Markets;
Broadband (FttP, DSL, cable, wireless);
Mobile subscribers and ARPU;
Broadband market forecasts;
Government policies affecting the telecoms industry;
Market liberalisation and industry issues;
Telecoms operators – privatisation, IPOs, acquisitions, new licences;
Mobile technologies (GSM; 3G, HSPA, LTE, 5G).

Researcher:- Henry Lancaster
Current publication date:- November 2018 (17th Edition)

Executive Summary

France begins closing down PSTN network

France has the third largest telecoms market in Europe, worth about €31 billion annually. The incumbent telco Orange Group is one of the world’s major players with interests in markets across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Despite market liberalisation, the company still dominates all sectors though increasing competition from a number of major players (notably Altice and Iliad) has gradually eroded this lead, prompting it to respond with a range of innovative offers and wide-ranging strategies to meet future customer needs. It is also investing in a national fibre network, largely in response to the activities of smaller players.

The mobile sector is dominated by the four providers Orange, SFR Group, Bouygues Telecom and Free Mobile, complemented by an increasing number of MVNOs which together have a market share of around 11% of subscribers. The network operators have invested in network infrastructure and technologies in recent years. LTE-A providing data at above 300Mb/s has extensive coverage, while operators have undertaken 5G trials. The development of 5G has also been supported by the regulator which intends to auction spectrum for 5G use in early 2019 in anticipation of services coming into commercial use later in the year.

France has one of the largest broadband subscriber bases in Europe. Growth in recent years has been bolstered by demand for high bandwidth services, which has prompted considerable investment in fibre infrastructure among telcos and regional governments. This has been supported by regulatory measures which have promoted access to Orange’s copper and fibre infrastructure for new entrants, as well as a national broadband program which involves an investment of more than €20 billion. Progress in deployment has been rapid, while the take-up rate among consumers has also increased substantially.

DSL still dominates the broadband market in terms of access lines, though the number of DSL lines is falling as customers are migrated to fibre infrastructure. Fibre deployments have grown substantially in recent years, with all of the major ISPs concentrating their investments in the platform with a view to promoting 1Gb/s services. By June 2018 there were almost four million fibre connections, and fibre accounted for half of all superfast broadband connections nationally.

This report introduces the key aspects of France’s telecom market, providing statistics on the country’s fixed network, an analysis of operator strategies, and a review of the key regulatory issues including the status of number portability, wholesaling and carrier preselection. The report also covers the mobile voice and data markets, assessing recent developments related to spectrum licensing and regulatory issues, and profiling the major players and MVNOs. In addition the report reviews France’s fixed broadband market, focussing on cable, DSL and the fast-developing FttP/C sectors. It considers the strategies of the principal providers such as Orange, Iliad and Altice (SFR Group), and considers the regulatory status of LLU and access to fibre infrastructure

Key developments:

Orange stops promoting PSTN products;
Bouygues Telecom sets up Objenious subsidiary dedicated to the Internet of Things;
Orange sets up Orange Horizons subsidiary to exploit potential in new markets;
Regulator institutes revised spectrum coverage obligations;
Orange partners with Ericsson and Nokia to develop a path to 5G, launches national LTE-M service;
Regulator progresses with 2.6GHz and 3.5GHz spectrum use for 5G;
Government proposes new measures to fill gaps in broadband availability;
Altice increases footprint of its 1Gb/s FttP service;
Success of fibre co-investment deals among operators;
Report update includes the regulator's market data updates to June 2018, operator data to Q3 2018, recent market development.

Companies mentioned in this report:

Orange, Iliad (Free, Free Mobile), Altice (SFR Group), Numéricable, Bouygues Telecom, Virgin Mobile, Omea Telecom, Bouygues Telecom

Henry Lancaster
November 2018

Key statistics

Country overview

Telecommunications market

Market analysis

Regulatory environment

History
National legal framework
France NumErique 2012
Regulatory authority

Communications and Postal Regulatory Authority (ARCEP)

Telecom sector liberalisation

Privatisation of Orange Group
Interconnect
Access
Number Portability (NP)
Carrier PreSelection (CPS)

Fixed network operators

Orange Group

Essentials 2020

Altice France
Free (Iliad)
Bouygues Telecom

Telecommunications infrastructure

National telecom network
International infrastructure

Submarine cable networks
Satellite networks
Cloud services

Smart infrastructure

Internet of Things (IoT)
Smart Cities

Broadband market

Introduction and statistical overview

Market analysis
Broadband statistics
Forecasts – broadband subscribers – 2019; 2021; 2023
Regulatory issues

Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) networks
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks
Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks

Introduction
Statistics
Orange
Iliad (Free)
SFR Group
Bouygues Telecom
Municipal projects
Fibre network sharing

Other fixed broadband services

Broadband Powerline (BPL)
Fixed wireless (Wi-Fi and WiMAX)
Wireless Local Loop (WLL)
WiMAX
WLAN/Wi-Fi

Mobile communications

Market analysis
Mobile statistics

General statistics

Mobile infrastructure

5G
4G (LTE)
3G
GSM

Machine-to-Machine (M2M)
Mobile voice

Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE)

Mobile data

Short Message Service (SMS)
Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)

Mobile broadband
Forecasts – mobile subscribers – 2019; 2021; 2023
Regulatory issues

Spectrum regulations and spectrum auctions
Network sharing
Mobile termination rates (MTRs)
Roaming
Mobile Number Portability (MNP)

Major mobile operators

Orange
Altice France
Free Mobile
Bouygues Telecom
MVNOs

Mobile content and applications

m-payments
m-banking

List of Tables

Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities - France – 2018 (e)
Table 2 – Telecom service investment – 2002 – 2017
Table 3 – End-user traffic volume in minutes by sector – 2002 – 2018
Table 4 – End-user traffic growth by sector – 2002 – 2017
Table 5 – Telecom market revenue by sector – 2008 – 2018
Table 6 – End-user fixed-line market value – 2003 – 2018
Table 7 – Proportion of telecom revenue by sector – 2009 – 2018
Table 8 – End-user telecom market value annual change – 2004 – 2017
Table 9 – Telecom market revenue by sector – 2008 – 2018
Table 10 – End-user monthly bill by service – 2010 – 2017
Table 11 – Fixed lines subscriptions by type – 2003 – 2018
Table 12 – Interconnect revenue – 2007 – 2016
Table 13 – Interconnect traffic – 2007 – 2016
Table 14 – Unbundled and bitstream lines – 2002 – 2018
Table 15 – Orange wholesale broadband lines – 2006 – 2018
Table 16 – Fixed numbers ported annually – 2005 – 2018
Table 17 – Indirect connections – 2006 – 2016
Table 18 – Orange customers by sector (France) – 2006 – 2018
Table 19 – Orange retail voice lines – 2007 – 2018
Table 20 – Orange Group financial data by sector – 2008 – 2018
Table 21 – Orange (domestic) financial data – 2007 – 2018
Table 22 – Orange (domestic) telecom capex – 2008 – 2018
Table 23 – Orange retail and wholesale lines – 2006 – 2018
Table 24 – SFR Group subscribers – 2006 – 2018
Table 25 –SFR Group financial data – 2005 – 2018
Table 26 – SFR Group telecom capex – 2008 – 2018
Table 27 – Free revenue by business line – 2006 – 2018
Table 28 – Free DSL, LLU subscribers – 2005 – 2014
Table 29 – Free subscribers by sector – 2009 – 2018
Table 30 – Bouygues Telecom subscribers by sector – 2005- 2018
Table 31 – Bouygues Telecom financial data – 2005 – 2018
Table 32 – Fixed-lines in service – 2011 – 2018
Table 33 – Proportion of fixed lines by technology – 2004 – 2017
Table 34 – International internet bandwidth – 2000 – 2016
Table 35 – Dial-up internet subscribers – 2005 – 2015
Table 36 – Dial-up internet traffic – 2004 – 2014
Table 37 – Broadband subscribers by platform – 2000 – 2018
Table 38 – Superfast broadband connections – 2011 – 2018
Table 39 – Proportion of premises covered by superfast broadband networks – 2012 – 2017
Table 40 – Superfast broadband connections by platform – 2011 – 2018
Table 41 – Broadband penetration by technology – 2007 – 2017
Table 42 – Historic - Internet users and penetration rate – 1995 – 2009
Table 43 – Internet users and penetration rate – 2010 – 2018
Table 44 – Internet subscribers – 2008 – 2018
Table 45 – Historic - Percentage of households with internet access – 1997 – 2009
Table 46 – Percentage of households with internet access – 2010 – 2018
Table 47 – Forecast broadband subscribers –– 2019; 2021; 2023
Table 48 – Cable modem subscribers – 2000 – 2018
Table 49 – DSL subscribers – 2000 – 2018
Table 50 – Orange DSL subscribers – 2005 – 2018
Table 51 – Free broadband revenue – 2006 – 2018
Table 52 – Free broadband subscribers – 2005 – 2018
Table 53 – Free broadband subscriber ARPU – 2013 – 2018
Table 54 –SFR broadband subscribers by type – 2013 – 2017
Table 55 – SFR broadband homes passed – 2009 – 2017
Table 56 – SFR revenue – 2005 – 2017
Table 57 – SFR annualised ARPU by broadband service – 2013 – 2017
Table 58 – FttP equipped and passed buildings – 2008 – 2018
Table 59 – FttP subscribers – 2011 – 2018
Table 60 – Orange fibre subscribers – 2006 – 2018
Table 61 – Free fibre subscribers – 2015 – 2018
Table 62 – Bouygues Telecom broadband subscribers – 2010- 2018
Table 63 – FttP subscriptions – 2015 – 2018
Table 64 – Orange satellite broadband subscribers – 2008 – 2017
Table 65 – Mobile sector investment – 2007 – 2017
Table 66 – Investment in 3G and LTE infrastructure – 2013 – 2017
Table 67 – Mobile retail revenue – 1998 – 2018
Table 68 – Average monthly bill, ARPU - 2006 – 2017
Table 69 – Historic - Mobile subscribers (national, old format incl. M2M) and penetration rate – 1999 – 2014
Table 70 – Mobile subscribers (national) and penetration rate – 2011 – 2019
Table 71 – Mobile services traffic in minutes – 1998 – 2018
Table 72 – Mobile voice traffic in minutes by type (quarterly) – 2006 – 2018
Table 73 – Annual mobile voice traffic by type – 2008 – 2018
Table 74 – Mobile operator market share – 2005 – 2016
Table 75 – Prepaid and contract subscribers (old format national, incl. M2M) – 2005 – 2014
Table 76 – Prepaid and contract subscribers (national, excl. M2M) – 2011 – 2018
Table 77 – Proportion of prepaid versus contract subscribers – 1999 – 2018
Table 78 – Active LTE subscribers – 2014 – 2018
Table 79 – Free Mobile LTE subscribers – 2014 – 2018
Table 80 – Free Mobile average LTE data use – 2015 – 2018
Table 81 – 3G base stations in service by operator – November 2017
Table 82 – Active 3G subscribers – 2007 – 2018
Table 83 – 2G base stations in service by operator – November 2017
Table 84 – M2M cards in use – 2011 – 2018
Table 85 – Revenue from M2M cards – 2009 – 2018
Table 86 – Data market revenue by type (historic) – 2002 – 2012
Table 87 – Mobile data traffic (TB) – 2008 – 2018
Table 88 – Average mobile data traffic per 3G/LTE subscriber – 2011 – 2017
Table 89 – Mobile data traffic from LTE networks – 2016 – 2018
Table 90 – Average mobile data traffic per mobile subscriber – 2011 – 2017
Table 91 – SMS traffic volume (national) – 2004 – 2018
Table 92 – Annual SMS volume (national) – 2003 – 2018
Table 93 – Annual MMS volume – 2003 – 2018
Table 94 – Active mobile broadband subscribers – 2007 – 2018
Table 95 – Dedicated mobile broadband subscribers – 2007 – 2018
Table 96 – Forecast - mobile subscribers - 2019; 2021; 2023
Table 97 – 2.6GHz spectrum results – Sep 2011
Table 98 – Mobile termination charges – 2005 – 2013
Table 99 – Mobile interconnection revenue – 2003 – 2017
Table 100 – European roaming charges – 2007 – 2016
Table 101 – Mobile roaming out voice traffic – 2003 – 2018
Table 102 – European data roaming charges – 2014 – 2017
Table 103 – Annual mobile numbers ported – 2004 – 2018
Table 104 – Orange mobile subscribers (France) – 2005 – 2018
Table 105 – Orange blended, contract, prepaid ARPU (Q4) – 2005 – 2017
Table 106 – Orange blended, contract, prepaid ARPO (Q4) – 2017 – 2018
Table 107 – Orange mobile revenue by type – 2011 – 2017
Table 108 – Orange mobile-only revenue (new style) – 2016 – 2018
Table 109 – Orange mobile customer churn – 2003 – 2018
Table 110 – Orange mobile customer acquisition costs – 2007 – 2016
Table 111 – SFR mobile annualised ARPU – 2005 – 2018
Table 112 – SFR revenue (historic) – 2004 – 2013
Table 113 – SFR mobile revenue (under Altice) – 2015 – 2018
Table 114 – SFR subscribers – 2006 – 2018
Table 115 – Free Mobile mobile subscribers – 2012 – 2018
Table 116 – Free Mobile mobile revenue – 2012 – 2018
Table 117 – Bouygues Telecom subscribers – 2005 – 2018
Table 118 – Bouygues Telecom mobile ARPU – 2007 – 2018
Table 119 – Bouygues Telecom financial data by type – 2005 – 2018
Table 120 – MNO and MVNO subscribers (metropolitan) – 2005 – 2018
Table 121 – MVNO market share (metropolitan) – 2005 – 2018

List of Charts

Chart 1 – Telecom service investment – 2002 – 2017
Chart 2 – End-user traffic volume in minutes by sector – 2002 – 2018
Chart 3 – Telecom market revenue by sector – 2008 – 2018
Chart 4 – Fixed lines subscriptions by type – 2003 – 2018
Chart 5 – Orange wholesale broadband lines – 2006 – 2018
Chart 6 – Orange customers by sector (France) – 2006 – 2018
Chart 7 – Orange Group financial data – 2008 – 2018
Chart 8 – Orange (domestic) financial data – 2007 – 2018
Chart 9 – Orange retail and wholesale lines – 2006 – 2018
Chart 10 – SFR Group subscribers – 2006 – 2018
Chart 11 – SFR Group financial data – 2005 – 2018
Chart 12 – Free revenue by segment – 2006 – 2018
Chart 13 – Free subscribers by sector – 2009 – 2018
Chart 14 – Bouygues Telecom financial data – 2005 – 2018
Chart 15 – Broadband subscribers by platform – 2000 – 2018
Chart 16 – Internet users and penetration rate – 2005 – 2018
Chart 17 – Average monthly bill and ARPU - 2006 – 2017
Chart 18 – Mobile subscribers (national) and penetration rate – 2011 – 2019
Chart 19 – Mobile operator market share – 2005 – 2016
Chart 20 – Orange mobile subscribers (France) – 2005 – 2018
Chart 21 – Orange blended, contract, prepaid ARPU – 2005 – 2017
Chart 22 – Orange mobile customer acquisition costs – 2007 – 2016
Chart 23 – SFR subscribers – 2006 – 2018
Chart 24 – MNO, MVNO subscribers (metropolitan) – 2005 – 2018

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1 – Access and the local loop
Exhibit 2 – Principal FttP and FttC (FttLA) deployments
Exhibit 3 – 3G licensees
Exhibit 4 – Reassigned multi-spectrum holdings (900MHz) – 2021 – 2025
Exhibit 5 – Operating MVNOs and network provider

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2018 France - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Purchase this Report

France begins closing down PSTN network

Key developments:

Companies mentioned in this report:

Key statistics

Telecommunications market

Regulatory environment

Fixed network operators

Telecommunications infrastructure

Broadband market

Mobile communications

Purchase this Report

Share this Report

TMT Intelligence

A platform to scale your intelligence tasks

Research Methodology

Hot Topics

News & Views