Launched in November 2020, the 5G mobile network will soon celebrate its first anniversary. And, it is clear that it had a fairly modest beginning, despite the advertising offensive of the operators. At the end of May, for example, Olivier Roussat, the general manager of Bouygues Telecom indicated that 5G, “it is less than 1% of the traffic on our network”. "People don't get up in the morning saying to themselves: hey, I want to have 5G", he continued, lucid. It must be said that 5G uses are still anecdotal.

In question: the deployment of the new mobile network, which is only in its infancy. Indeed, 50,068 4G antennas are currently in service (as of September ¹ , 2021) compared to 16,807 in 5G (as of June 30, 2021). But, as the deployment of 5G progresses and uses emerge in the fields of virtual reality, augmented reality or streaming video games, the changeover could take place in the coming months. In the meantime, in the race for 5G, which operator has made the best start?

Which operator has the largest 5G network?

To determine which is the best operator, it is necessary to study several criteria. Among them: the mobile coverage which allows to get an idea of ​​the number of people concerned by the 5G mobile network of each operator. As of September 30, 2021, as evidenced by our map of cities covered in 5G, Free is the operator that has deployed and activated the largest number of 5G antennas, 12,000 exactly. This is much more than Bouygues Telecom (5,003), SFR (3,160) and Orange (2,473). Moreover, on its website as on advertisements, Free boasts of having "the largest 5G network in France" in number of sites, with "already more than 72% of the population covered by 5G".

A communication that is not to the taste of all operators, such as Orange. Through the voice of Stéphane Richard, his boss, he denounces: “We have chosen 3.5 GHz frequencies for 5G. The rest is not 5G, even if it may bear the name. It's enhanced 4G. Too bad if it allows others to claim misleading coverage rates."

If Free claims such a high coverage rate, it is because it massively deploys 5G in the 700 MHz range, a frequency band first allocated to 4G, therefore with speeds close to 4G. The 700 MHz band, if it provides better surface coverage and inside buildings, it does not offer speeds comparable to those which are possible to have with 5G in the high frequencies, the 3.5 GHz, considered the core band of 5G.

However, if we stick to this single frequency band, Orange has the best 5G coverage. There are indeed 2,177 5G antennas deployed by Orange in the 3.5 GHz band, compared to 1,934 for Bouygues Telecom, 1,735 for SFR and 1,691 for Free.

Important clarification: the same site can be equipped with several frequency bands to provide 5G technology. Thus, the total number of sites may be less than the sum of the sites distributed according to the frequency bands.

Which operator has the best 5G subscriptions?

On the criterion of 5G packages, it seems difficult to say which operator is the best. Because the operators who offer 5G subscriptions have not necessarily opted for the same strategy. The quantities of data on board, for example, vary from one operator to another. But, despite everything, let's try to give you some pointers.

Too Much Baggage? How to Ship Your Luggage https://t.co/BRWT48nAKj #travel #ttot https://t.co/TW2LATQmcv

— Kay Dougherty Fri Jun 03 12:10:22 +0000 2016

Bouygues Telecom is the operator that offers the cheapest 5G subscription on the market with a 70 GB package at the price of €16.99/month for one year (then €25.99/month). But Free is not far behind with its Free 5G package with 150 GB for €19.99. Over two years, it is even the Free mobile offer that is the most attractive financially. As for Orange, its cheapest 5G plan is €21.99/month for one year (then €32.99/month) for 120 GB of data. As for SFR, it starts with a 90 GB package at €20/month (then €32/month).

Now let's take the example of packages with a large amount of data. In this category, Free offers the most attractive package with 150 GB of data on the market. It is only billed at €19.99/month with no time limit, when it is €39.99/month for one year (then €48.99/month) at Bouygues Telecom. For its part, SFR offers a 160 GB package at €45/month for one year (then €60/month). And, Orange markets a package with 130 GB of data for €29.99 for one year (then €44.99).

Apart from telling you that Bouygues Telecom and Free are the two cheapest 5G operators on the market, we cannot answer the question more explicitly: which operator has the best 5G packages? But what we can do more is to encourage you to study all the offers carefully. Because, depending on whether you are a box subscriber at Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom or Free, it will surely not be the same. Indeed, the four operators offer their box subscribers a monthly discount on the price of their 5G plan. It is €10 to €15 at SFR, €6 to €15 at Orange and €6 at Bouygues Telecom and €5 to €10 at Free. An adjustment variable that can significantly lower the price of your 5G mobile plan.

How much do 5G offers from mobile operators cost?

Which operator has the best 5G speeds?

Of all the advantages of 5G (in addition to avoiding saturation of 4G networks), speed is the one that raises the most expectations. Firstly because it is the one that is most easily perceived by users, but also because operators communicate widely on the subject. Free, for example, mentions on its site an "ultra-fast speed, up to 3 times faster than 4G". SFR speaks of an "unmatched" speed. “5G in the 3.5 GHz band can go up to 10 times faster than 4G,” he promises. For its part, Bouygues Telecom... while Orange remains measured by saying that "5G in 3.5 GHz is first of all more speeds for common uses such as downloads or video streaming".

Only, one year after the launch of 5G, what is really happening with the four main operators? As a reminder, in the specifications imposed on operators in the context of the allocation of 5G frequencies, it appears that Arcep requires operators to initially guarantee a minimum of 100 Mb/s in 5G to users, then 240 Mb/s in 2022. A constraint not necessarily respected by all operators, far from it.

If we stick to the latest nPerf mobile connection barometer (at the end of June 2021), a measurement specialist, SFR is the best 5G operator with an average download speed of 308.19 Mb/s, ahead of Orange (295.19 Mb/s), Bouygues Telecom (148.31 Mb/s) and Free (118.91 Mb/s). Nevertheless, nPerf takes great care to specify that the objective of its test is to measure the maximum capacity of the connection and that it is therefore not necessarily representative of the experience felt by mobile users during normal use of the device. 'Internet.

That is why it is worth paying attention to the latest 4G/5G barometer from QoSi (March 2021), another measurement specialist, which has a protocol that is perhaps closer to the reality of users. In this study, it appears that Orange is the best 5G operator with an average download speed of 146.5 Mb/s. It is also the only one to be above the threshold of 100 Mb/s set by Arcep . It is well ahead of SFR (80.1 Mb/s), Bouygues Telecom (78.7 Mb/s). Finally, what about the performance of Free, which brings up the rear (28.1 Mb / s). Important clarification: according to the QoSi barometer, Free delivers a better average speed in 5G, lower than in 4G (28.1 Mb / s in 5G against 30 Mb / s in 4G).

As for Arcep, the telecoms regulator, it made public, in November 2021, the results of its observatory on the quality of mobile services. Results similar to those of QoSi. Orange offers the best download speeds, with an average of 142 Mbit/s throughout France. Orange 5G subscribers in dense areas, where most of their 5G sites are deployed, have an average of 227 Mbit/s. It is followed by SFR, (84 Mbit/s on average throughout France and 145 Mbit/s only in dense areas), then Bouygues Telecom (71 Mbit/s on average, 130 Mbit/s in dense areas). Free is last with 31 Mbit/s on average, with little difference between dense areas and intermediate or rural areas.

Which operator has the best 5G, all criteria combined?

Telling you which is the best 5G carrier to help you decide which one to upgrade to 5G with is difficult, if not impossible. Because, in addition to having a good network, the expectations of some are different from those of others. Some will want to have the widest possible coverage, in which case they will choose the 5G Free network. Others will absolutely want to have more speed than in 4G and will go to Orange, or even SFR, which have the best speeds in 5G. Still others will appreciate the quality/price ratio of Bouygues Telecom's 5G offers. That's why it's so hard to tell you which carrier has the best 5G. The best 5G, in fact, is first and foremost the one that suits you.

Nevertheless, failing to tell you which is the best 5G operator, we can give you some advice to help you choose an offer compatible with the new 5G mobile network. The first thing to do, when you decide to switch to 5G, is to look at a map of the cities covered by 5G. This will let you know if you live or work in a city covered by the new mobile network. But that is not enough. It is also worth looking at a map of the mobile antennas. It will show you the mobile antennas near you. You will therefore know if you are covered by 5G in the 3.5 GHz band, the only one that allows you to have a significant increase in speed. With 5G in the other frequency bands, the increase in speed is less, even extremely limited compared to 5G. And, the only advantage you will have of switching to 5G will be to avoid saturation of the 4G network. A lower benefit when you know all the (coming) advantages of 5G. But, for some, and especially in very dense areas, where the 4G network is completely congested, it's already not so bad.

What you must remember

Which operator has the best 5G coverage?

With 72% of the population already covered, Free is the operator with the largest 5G network. With 12,000 5G sites already activated, Free's new mobile network is available in more than 9,460 municipalities.

Which carrier has the fastest 5G?

According to several studies, Orange and, to a lesser extent, SFR deliver the best 5G speeds. As a reminder, 5G in the 3.5 GHz band is the one that provides the best connection speeds.

Which operator offers the cheapest 5G plan?

It is Bouygues Telecom, with a 70 GB package at the price of €16.99/month, which offers the cheapest 5G subscription on the market. The Free package with 150 GB for €19.99/month is the one that offers the best data/price ratio.