Paris, 13 December 2011
In a letter dated 10 November 2011, Free Mobile reported to ARCEP that its 3G network coverage stood at over 27% of the population, and that it had thereby satisfied the coverage obligation set for 12 January 2012 as listed in the terms of its 3G licence.
ARCEP checked the information submitted by Free Mobile:
- a verification of the 3G network coverage map submitted by the operator was performed through a field measurement campaign in November and December 2011;
- the percentage of the population covered, corresponding to the 3G network coverage map submitted by Free Mobile, was calculated using a database of the population geolocated at the building level.
It emerged from these verifications performed by the Authority that Free Mobile has already achieved the level of 3G deployment that it was required to achieve by 12 January 2012.
Because the 3G coverage level achieved by Free Mobile is above 25% of the population, in accordance with the terms of the licences issued to 3G mobile operators, the company is now permitted to roam on another operator's network to be able to supply mobile services across the whole of France as soon as it is open for business.
Free Mobile must launch its network commercially by 12 January 2012 at the latest, to comply with all of the commitments attached to this deadline.