Paris, 3rd April 2015
Under the terms of the licence that ARCEP issued on 12 January 2010, operator Free Mobile had an obligation to achieve, by means of its own 3G network, at least 75% coverage of the population of Metropolitan France by 12 January 2015. This obligation refers to outdoor coverage and excludes any roaming agreements Free Mobile might have with another mobile operator.
Compliance with the obligation was verified using the same method that has applied to all mobile operators since the 2000s. Free Mobile's 3G network coverage was verified through a series of tests carried out between 29 January and 2 March 2015. More than 40,000 measurements were taken, using devices whose access to 2G and 4G networks, and to other operators' 3G networks, was deactivated.
It emerged from these verifications that Free Mobile has met its obligation.
The deadline set for Free Mobile's next 3G rollout obligation is 12 January 2018, at which point the operator must be covering at least 90% of the population.
Linked documents
- Measurement campaign report (pdf - in French only)