Orange - France

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Orange
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France Flag of France View country details


Orange (France) uses 2 GSM bands, 2 UMTS bands, 5 LTE bands, and 2 5G NR bands. Find out if your unlocked phone or mobile device will work with Orange (France). See the tables below for details.

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Carrier website: http://www.orange.com/

Last updated: 2024/08/04 - See latest updates

Orange France operates a comprehensive mobile network that covers a significant portion of the population in mainland France. Here are some key points about the Orange France mobile network:

  1. Coverage:

    • 4G Coverage: The Orange network covers 99% of the population in mainland France with 4G, including 97% of the population living in communes with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants.
    • 5G Coverage: More than 60% of the population in mainland France has access to 5G.

  2. Network Quality:

    • Orange has been recognized by the French Regulator (ARCEP) as the number one provider for mobile service quality for 13 consecutive times, including for calls, SMS, and mobile internet.

  3. Network Structure:

    • The mobile network consists of two main parts: the "access" network, which includes base stations and antennas, and the "backbone" network, which handles the transmission of signals to the fixed network.

  4. Mobile Plans:

    • Orange offers a range of mobile plans, including unlimited plans for calls and texts, with varying data allowances. The most expensive plans can also include a new phone at a discounted price.

  5. Prepaid Options:

    • Orange provides prepaid SIM cards, such as the Mobicarte, which are popular for short stays or travelers. The Orange Holiday Europe plan is designed for tourists, offering high-speed data in Europe with a French phone number.

Overall, Orange France's mobile network is highly developed and widely available, making it a reliable choice for both residents and visitors.

Frequency Bands

GSM

Name Interface Description
900 MHz (E-GSM) GSM

Orange France uses the GSM 900 MHz (E-GSM) frequency band. This band is part of the GSM standard used for mobile communications and is widely deployed in various countries around the world.
1800 MHz (DCS) GSM

Orange France uses the GSM 1800 MHz (DCS) frequency band. This band is utilized for mobile communication services, including mobile telephony and data transmission. The deployment of GSM 1800 in France is part of the broader implementation of GSM technology in the country, which has been widely adopted for mobile services.

Supported GSM Protocols

Name Generation
GPRS 2.5G
EDGE 2.5G

UMTS

Name Interface Description
B1 (2100 MHz) UMTS

Orange France uses the UMTS frequency band B1 (2100 MHz). This band was deployed in 2002.
B8 (900 MHz GSM) UMTS

Orange France uses the UMTS B8 (900 MHz GSM) frequency band. This band is deployed in various regions, including Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania, where it is used for UMTS networks.

Supported UMTS Protocols

Name Generation
UMTS 3G
HSPA+ 3.5G (4G speed)

LTE

Name Interface Description
B7 (2600 MHz) LTE

Orange France uses the LTE frequency band B7 (2600 MHz) for its mobile network. The band is allocated for FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) operations with an uplink range of 2500-2570 MHz and a downlink range of 2620-2690 MHz.
B20 (800 MHz DD) LTE

Orange France uses the LTE B20 (800 MHz DD) frequency band for its LTE network deployments. This band is particularly known for its wide area coverage and deep penetration, making it suitable for regional and rural environments, as well as in-building coverage. It is also popular for IoT applications like eMTC (LTE Cat M1) and NB-IoT (LTE Cat NB1) due to its wide coverage characteristics. The 800 MHz band does not easily support Massive MIMO and beamforming technologies due to its large wavelength. It can be used as a single band or as part of a multi-band network, and it supports carrier aggregation with other bands to enhance bandwidth and performance.
B3 (1800 MHz +) LTE

Orange France uses LTE Band 3 (1800 MHz +) for its mobile network. 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 suitable for dense urban areas and is widely used globally, including in Europe, APAC, MEA, and selected countries in South America. Orange France's deployment of this band facilitates international roaming for mobile broadband services and supports enhanced mobile broadband capabilities.
B28 (700 MHz APT) LTE

Orange France uses LTE Band 28 (700 MHz APT) for its 4G LTE network. This band operates between 703 MHz and 803 MHz, supporting channel bandwidths of 5, 10, 15, and 20 MHz. The band is known for its excellent propagation characteristics, allowing signals to penetrate buildings and cover larger geographic areas with less infrastructure.
B1 (2100 MHz) LTE

Orange France uses LTE band B1 (2100 MHz). The deployment date for this band is not specified.

Supported LTE Protocols

Name Generation
LTE 4G
LTE-A 4G

5G NR

Name Interface Description
N1 (2100 MHz) 5G NR

Orange France uses the 5G NR N1 (2100 MHz) frequency band for its 5G network. This band is designated by the 5G NR standard and covers the frequency range from 1920 to 2170 MHz. The deployment of this frequency band supports high-speed data transmission and is used to enhance the overall quality of service for Orange's customers.
N78 (3500 MHz) 5G NR

Orange France uses the 5G NR N78 frequency band, which operates in the 3300 to 3800 MHz range. This band is commonly referred to as the 3.5 GHz 5G band or C-band 5G. It is known for its relatively common availability compared to lower cellular spectrum and is often used for high-capacity throughput due to its ability to support large channel widths. The deployment of this band is part of Orange France's strategy to enhance its 5G network, leveraging advanced technologies like massive MIMO, beam-forming, and beam-tracking to mitigate the limited range and building penetration of higher frequencies.

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