Living in France – How to get connected in France: Phone, TV and internet
Moving to France, while a move made by many, is of course a huge lifestyle change. Moving away from existing networks, notably friends and family, is often the biggest area of concern for those looking to make the move.
Luckily, today’s technologies mean it’s easy to get connected in France without losing touch with those back home. France is a country that embraces technology, but also spans a very large area mass with a lot of the country being quite rural. So it certainly pays to do your homework on how to ensure you remain connected in France, from your new property.
Getting your devices and internet set up in your new home is easy!
How to get connected in France
When property hunting, it is always prudent to check with current owners as to how they access internet and television services. A lot of properties for sale in France are in remote and rural areas, so it might be that it’s simply not possible to remain connected in France using the usual simple methods. That being, to contact one of the big players and simply place your order. And forewarned, is always forearmed.
If you are unable to check with the current owners, ask your estate agent as they might have an idea of what’s possible in the area. Alternatively, you can check what TV, internet and phone providers offer services in your area. You can normally do this directly on the provider’s website or a comparison site. There are comparison sites which are useful if you are open to using some of France’s smaller suppliers, but these sites are all in French. The basic costs of telephone, internet and TV packages in France are slightly lower than in the UK.
For example, our writer in France, Beth, pays around 35 euros a month for television, internet and telephone. Whereas in the UK, the same package with one of the major providers is nearly £80 a month.
Service providers in France
Historically, Orange (previously France Telecom) is the country’s main telecom service provider. To this day, they still own France’s fixed-line infrastructure, making them seem like the obvious choice of provider. But over time, they have been “unbundled” within certain areas to allow competitors the ability to provide services. France is now split into three “zones”.
This allows providers to compete by area. Your location will depend on whether you have free reign of choice when it comes to choosing a provider with which to remain connected in France or whether your choice will be more limited.
If you live in an area that gives you free choice, the main providers include Orange (and their low-cost division SOSH), SFR (and their lower-cost division RED), Bouygues Telecom and Free. These providers offer the usual services including internet, television, home phone and mobile services. They all provide tariffs and packages to suit a variety of needs, and some providers offer English-speaking helplines. It is worth noting though that the bigger the range of services you wish to place with the same provider, the lower the cost will probably be. Don’t forget that they are all desperately vying for all of your business packaged up in one contract!
Connection times
It is worth bearing in mind that you will simply not be able to “take over” the services from existing owners of properties, whether you opt for the same provider as previously used or not. With that in mind, there may be a period where you may be without internet, phone and TV. That’s why it pays off to get your utilities set up before your move-in date.
Many expats tend to reject conventional telephone calls back to the UK to friends and family, in favour of using applications on their mobiles. Applications such as Facebook Messenger and Whatsapp run on wifi connections, therefore you won’t be charged international rates for communicating with someone outside of France. These applications can be a lifeline when it comes to remaining connected in France. Alternatively, you can opt to get a French mobile, to use when you’re in France and resume your UK mobile if you plan on travelling back and forth frequently.
French Connectivity Targets
Fibre network deployment initially began in France in 2007. Orange is the leading provider of fibre-optic broadband in France, which set the target of connecting 60% of the French population by 2020. They missed this target. In November 2020, France also vowed to eradicate all ‘dead spots’ (known currently as zone blanche) from the map by providing even the most rural areas with a useable internet connection of some sort. The country also committed to covering its entire territory with high-speed broadband (30 Mbps) by 2022.
The National Broadband Plan (the French Très Haut Débit), pledged to extend optical fibre to subscribers throughout the country by 2025. However, as with many best-laid plans, this project has not been without sizeable challenges. In November 2023, Orange announced a new pledge to the French Government, having been fined €26 million for failing to meet its deployment targets. They also acknowledged the clear disparity in their progress towards achieving their targets within rural and urban areas.
The French government has, as a result, pledged grants of up to €600 for households that still do not have access to fibre internet in 2024. This grant is designed to cover the costs of installing satellite dishes to those some seven million homes still not yet eligible for a fibre connection. Orange has also pledged to connect a further 1.5 million homes to fibre throughout the coming year.
Other ways to stay connected in France
Just like in the UK, there is usually free wifi in public places that you can use, simply by agreeing to said company’s terms and conditions. This tends to be particularly prevalent within larger cities. However, in smaller towns or villages, you wouldn’t necessarily get away with spending all day remote-working in France from the same café or restaurant, without landing yourself with a sizable bill!
And in areas where WiFi is not available, you could investigate the option of accessing the internet via Satellite. Providing internet via satellite to over 70 countries, Starlink promises a reliable and high-speed internet service no matter where your location is in France. Growing in popularity, this is an invaluable service where needs must, to remain connected in France. Prices start at around similar monthly rental prices of the other major players. Although there is a hardware cost involved for the satellite of around 450 euros. However, users of the service deem it invaluable to maintain links with loved ones. With those who use it, give it high praise!
Buying a property in France is extremely exciting, but it can be nerve-wracking: in what ways is the process different to the UK, how do you cope with the language difference, what fees should you expect and just who is the notaire? That’s why we’ve put together our France Buying Guide, to help you through the process, step by step.
Written by experts, it covers every stage of buying, from viewing to contracts and fees. Get your copy of the French Property Guide by simply filling in the form below.