Free - France
Free (France) uses 1 GSM band, 2 UMTS bands, 4 LTE bands, and 3 5G NR bands. Find out if your unlocked phone or mobile device will work with Free (France). See the tables below for details.
Check device compatibilityCarrier website: http://www.free.fr/
Last updated: 2024/08/04 - See latest updates
Free Mobile in France offers a range of mobile plans with a focus on affordability and no-contract options. Here are some key points about Free Mobile:
Mobile Plans:
- Free offers three mobile plans: a €2/month plan, a €10.99/month plan, and a €19.99/month plan. The €19.99 plan includes 35 GB of 4G data from 110 destinations, unlimited calls, SMS, and MMS in Europe, DOM, Canada, Australia, Israel, the US, and South Africa.
Coverage:
- Free Mobile has made significant progress in its coverage, now providing widespread 4G coverage (99% of the population and 98% of the French territory) and the largest 5G coverage in France, with over 19,000 5G sites commissioned and covering nearly 95% of the population.
Availability and Awards:
- In Opensignal's 2023 report, Free Mobile won the Availability award with a score of 98.5%, beating other major operators like Bouygues, Orange, and SFR. It also won the 5G Coverage Experience award with a score of 3.7 points on a 10-point scale.
Customer Service:
- Free Mobile offers an English-speaking customer service line for assistance with subscriptions and plans.
SIM Card and Plan Sign-Up:
- Users can sign up for Free Mobile plans online, in-store, or through their SIM card distribution machines. The process requires basic contact information, address, and banking details for activation.
Overall, Free Mobile is known for its affordable, no-contract plans and has improved its coverage significantly, making it a competitive option in the French mobile market.
Frequency Bands
GSM
| Name | Interface | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 900 MHz (E-GSM) | GSM | Free France uses the GSM 900 MHz (E-GSM) frequency band. This band is utilized for GSM services. |
UMTS
| Name | Interface | Description |
|---|---|---|
| B1 (2100 MHz) | UMTS | Free France uses the UMTS frequency band B1 (2100 MHz). The deployment date for this band is not specified. |
| B8 (900 MHz GSM) | UMTS | Free France uses the UMTS B8 (900 MHz GSM) frequency band for its UMTS services. This band is utilized for GSM services. The deployment of this band is not specified in the provided information. |
Supported UMTS Protocols
| Name | Generation |
|---|---|
| UMTS | 3G |
| HSPA+ | 3.5G (4G speed) |
LTE
| Name | Interface | Description |
|---|---|---|
| B7 (2600 MHz) | LTE | Free France uses LTE band B7 (2600 MHz) for its LTE services. This band was deployed in France. |
| B3 (1800 MHz +) | LTE | Free France uses LTE Band 3 (1800 MHz +) for its LTE services. This frequency band supports both FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) and TDD (Time Division Duplex) configurations, offering a balance between network coverage and data capacity. It is particularly popular in Europe, APAC, MEA, and selected countries in South America, facilitating international roaming for mobile broadband services. |
| B28 (700 MHz APT) | LTE | Free France uses LTE frequency band B28 (700 MHz APT) for its LTE network deployments. This band operates between 703 MHz and 803 MHz, utilizing a full-duplex frequency division duplex (FDD) mode. The uplink frequency range is 703–748 MHz, and the downlink frequency range is 758–803 MHz, with a duplex spacing of 55 MHz. The band supports channel bandwidths of 5, 10, 15, and 20 MHz. The deployment of this band by Free France was initiated in 2016, primarily in Paris and rural areas, to enhance 4G coverage and improve indoor penetration and wide area coverage. |
| B1 (2100 MHz) | LTE | Free France uses the LTE B1 (2100 MHz) frequency band. It was added to their network on August 4, 2024. |
Supported LTE Protocols
| Name | Generation |
|---|---|
| LTE | 4G |
| LTE-A | 4G |
5G NR
| Name | Interface | Description |
|---|---|---|
| N1 (2100 MHz) | 5G NR | Free France uses the 5G NR frequency band n1, which covers the 2100 MHz range. This band is commonly referred to as the 2.1 GHz 5G band. The n1 band is popular due to its widespread availability and the fact that it can be "re-farmed" from existing 3G and 4G networks to support 5G services. The n1 band offers excellent coverage and building penetration, making it suitable for various 5G applications. |
| N28 (700 MHz) | 5G NR | Free France uses the 5G NR frequency band n28 (700 MHz) for its 5G services. This band covers the frequency range from 703 to 803 MHz. Free has deployed 5G on this band, with its 5G footprint including 13,479 sites operational out of 18,929 permits secured for this frequency band as of December 31, 2021. |
| N78 (3500 MHz) | 5G NR | Free France uses the 5G NR frequency band n78 (3500 MHz) for its 5G deployments. This band is designated for Time Division Duplexing (TDD) and is widely used for 5G due to its relatively common availability and potential for high capacity throughput. The n78 band spans from 3300 MHz to 3800 MHz, supporting channel bandwidths ranging from 10 MHz to 100 MHz. Advanced technologies like massive MIMO, beam-forming, and beam-tracking help mitigate the limited range and building penetration issues associated with higher frequencies. This band is particularly popular for its ability to support large channel widths, making it suitable for delivering high-capacity 5G services. |
Latest updates
- 2024/08/04 - Frequency GSM 1800 MHz (DCS) removed from Free France.
- 2024/08/04 - Frequency LTE B1 (2100 MHz) added to Free France.
- 2024/08/04 - Frequency 5G NR N1 (2100 MHz) added to Free France.
- 2024/08/04 - Frequency 5G NR N28 (700 MHz) added to Free France.
- 2024/08/04 - Frequency 5G NR N78 (3500 MHz) added to Free France.
