2019 France - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

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Last updated: 20 May 2020 Update History

Report Status: Archived

Report Pages: 278

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:- October 2019 (18th Edition) 

Executive Summary

France looking for 5G auction enabling licensees to invest in infrastructure

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. The company is embarked on a multi-year investment program with an emphasis on fibre-based broadband and mobile infrastructure based on 5G. Despite market liberalisation, orange still dominates all sectors though increasing competition from a number of major players (notably Altice, Bouygues Telecom and Iliad) has gradually eroded this lead.

The mobile phone market, worth about €13 billion annually, is dominated by Orange, SFR Group (owned by Altice Group), Bouygues Telecom and Free Mobile. Services based on LTE have near universal coverage, while operators have undertaken extensive 5G trials and are looking to launch commercial services in the second half of 2020. This timing is being supported by the auction of spectrum in a range of bands.

Competition among the MNOs and a large number of MVNOs caused mobile services revenue to fall steadily until 2017, since when growth has been low but steady. Pressure on revenue has encouraged operators to look to convergence and bundled services, and so expand their offerings beyond mobile voice and data.

France also 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. 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. There efforts have been encouraged by the regulator which is keen to see effective competition in fibre access.

This report assesses the key aspects of France’s telecom market, providing updated 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 segments, including spectrum licensing and regulatory issues and profiles of the major players and MVNOs. In addition, the report analyses the fixed and fixed-wireless broadband markets, focussing on cable, DSL and the fast-developing FttP/C sectors. It reviews 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. Subscriber forecasts to 2024 are provided for several market areas.

Key developments:

  • Iliad sells its French tower portfolio to help fund 5G rollout;
  • Orange stops promoting PSTN products;
  • Regulator approves 5G trial licences in the 26GHz band;
  • Altice increases footprint of its 1Gb/s FttP service;
  • DSL subscriber base continues to fall;
  • Success of fibre co-investment deals among operators
  • Orange partners with Ericsson and Nokia to develop a path to 5G, launches national LTE-M service;
  • Regulator to make 1.5GHz spectrum available for 5G by 2022;
  • MVNO market share increases to 11.1% of subscribers;
  • Report update includes the regulator's market data to June 2019, telcos' financial and operating data to Q2 2019, Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, recent market developments.

Companies mentioned in this report:

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

Henry Lancaster
October 2019

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