For more than a decade, nPerf has allowed us to better measure the state of mobile internet in France. The independent Lyon company has just published its benchmark of French mobile networks for the first half of 2024. Its study on network quality draws on one of the largest crowdsourced testing databases* in France, and it cites nPerf as an introduction to its findings. The rich document is available in PDF format at this address and holds a few surprises.
Bouygues Telecom and SFR in the lead, ahead of Orange
Historically, Orange tends to dominate discussions when it comes to assessing which operator has the best mobile network in France. As a reminder, there are four major operators present in France: Bouygues Telecom, Free, Orange and SFR. The first thing to remember is that Bouygues Telecom and SFR are changing the hierarchy to become the leader in mobile internet performance in mainland France. According to the latest nPerf 2024 metric, they delivered the best overall performance for their subscribers during the first half of 2024. However, there are some differences between the two, with different strengths.
Bouygues Telecom: The latency champion
If it is impossible to choose between Bouygues Telecom and SFR, the former comes out on top in terms of latency. Bouygues Telecom performs better than its competitors in this area (29.7 ms), as well as in terms of streaming (on YouTube: 85.72%) and navigation (73.78%). The operator takes the first step on the platform with a score of 97,445 points, obtaining the best results in all indicators, except for download speed (109.13 MB/s). On the other hand, Bouygues Telecom offers Best download speeds (16.11 MB/s).
For nPerf, this performance growth is “What's even more amazing is that it persisted throughout the period studied.”.
SFR: Co-Leader in Solid Flow Rates
An operator has managed to stand up to Bouygues Telecom to be the co-leader of the nPerf ranking for the first half of 2024. In a delicate situation, SFR shows an excellent performance with 96,899 nPoints. This result is comparable to that achieved by Bouygues Telecom and the operator in the red square in first place with Orange in first place. Download speeds (122 Mbps, +30% in 1 year) With Bouygues Telecom on Upstream speeds (15.96 Mbps)According to nPerf, SFR has managed to maintain the “excellent performance observed at the end of 2023” to become a co-leader.
The operator tells us that it also ranks second in national 4G coverage according to nPerf in April 2024. It also reminds us that it was the first to launch 4G in 2012 and then 5G in 2020, while its network today covers 99.9% of the population with 4G. “In 5G technology, more than 9,700 municipalities are open and more than 77% of the population is covered by the end of May 2024”SFR adds in its press release.
📢 Subscribers @Bouygues Communications And @SFR Benefit from the best overall internet performance. #Moving In the first half of 2024📱🏆 #France 🇫🇷 Barometer @nPerf Speed test ◀️ https://t.co/cwb7GBEyCJ pic.twitter.com/rqIqQRoa2y
— nPerf Speed Test (@nPerf) July 8, 2024
Orange: False third place?
By the end of 2023, the trend suggests that Bouygues Telecom and SFR are closing in on the first place on the nPerf platform. Their advance pushes Orange into third place, but the situation is still far from catastrophic for the historic operator. The latter is outdated “very short-headed” nPerf ensures that it has provided offers close to those of Bouygues Telecom and SFR. Orange subscribers benefit from the best performance in terms of Download speeds (121.68 MB/s) Navigation is on par with these two competitors.
The decision to open up the 5G network to all customers (including Sosh) has had an impact. ” direct “ On average, operator performance. nPerf notes that results rose sharply in June 2024, a trend that could continue through the start of the school year.
Free Mobile: Still Far Behind
Free Mobile, the fourth French mobile operator to obtain a network operating license, is struggling to catch up with its competitors. The results of nPerf are clear: “Free closes our ranking, as at the end of 2023, in fourth place. Average performance still suffers from a less effective experience than competitors.”.
Overall, we see a continued improvement in network performance during the first half of 2024. nPerf ensures that nothing is decided regarding the annual ranking, and the battle is expected to be fierce between Bouygues Telecom, SFR and Orange. The big question is whether the latter will be able to make up for its short delay in reclaiming its crown.
* Crowdsourcing is the practice of soliciting input from the general public for services, ideas, or content.
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