I remember a time when 3 mobile operators were competing: SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Orange. Then, just like it did for Internet offers, Free arrived in 2012 with its Free Mobile packages which slashed prices and reshuffled the cards of the competition. All the operators had to quickly align themselves to stay in the race.
This is how the "low cost" brands of the 3 historic operators were born: Sosh for Orange, Red for SFR and B&You for Bouygues... Each then started to offer unlimited packages for less than €20. Gone is the golden age of operators who could afford huge margins on the back of a nascent industry. Everyone could now find a cheap mobile plan and adapted to its needs.
But in addition to breaking market prices, Free brought a major innovation that revolutionized mobile offers: the separation between the purchase of the phone and the mobile subscription. Free did not initially offer subsidized phones and was therefore able to create non-binding packages that could be canceled from one month to the next. The economic model of the operators at the time was to offer expensive packages associated with quality phones at a knockdown price... Basically, you bought your phone on credit... and you paid the interest. I remember that at the time, I created a small Excel file to run simulations to find out which package was the cheapest, with or without a phone.
At the time, I also didn't want to switch to Free, because at the start, the operator sublet the Orange network... and I didn't want to go through the hassle. But as a result, I was able to test Sosh and B&You in turn after having been with SFR since the end of the 90s before finally opting for Bouygues in order to find a semblance of customer service.
A mobile telephony landscape that has become more complex
And so, little by little, the mobile telephony landscape in France has become more complex. In addition to the new brands of historic operators, many offers ofmobile virtual network operator (MVNO) have emerged! Unlike traditional operators, MVNOs do not have their own network, they rent the network of major operators and package offers according to their own taste. La Poste Mobile, NRJ Mobile, Auchan Telecom… and many others, are all operators that are added to the existing offer. Some specialize in individuals, others in professionals.
Today, according to ARCEP, the sector's supervisory authority, there are around thirty MVNOs.
It therefore becomes difficult to find your way around and choose a quality telephone offer, at a good price, and offering the appropriate services.
And the market remains terribly competitive. Not a week goes by without operators (virtual or not) offering "lifetime" or period-specific subscriptions at knockdown prices... private sales and PR stunts follow one another to take or keep a piece of the pie.
And tomorrow, 5G
And yes, after very heavy investments for covering France with 4G since 2012, operators are already working on the new generation of mobile communication standard: 5G (and perhaps also on 6G as dear Donald Trump would like).
I want 5G, and even 6G, technology in the United States as soon as possible. It is far more powerful, faster, and smarter than the current standard. American companies must step up their efforts, or get left behind. There is no reason that we should be lagging behind on .........
- Donald J. Trump (@ realDonaldTrump) February 21, 2019
But to put it simply, 5G will bring even more impressive speeds than 4G with lower latency, but above all increased density. And this last element is very important since with the explosion of the Internet of Things, 5G technology will make it possible to connect many more devices per km².
And it is this year that the first initiatives from French operators should arrive... however, we will have to wait to have a terminal compatible with this new standard!
Still, as with every technological leap, the arrival of 5G should allow the cards to be reshuffled a little at the level of mobile operators. Who will be the first to draw their offer? Who will offer the best prices?
In short, the mobile telephony landscape in France is not fixed and it risks changing further in the coming years!
Thank you for this very informative retrospective article! It's fascinating to see how the arrival of Free in 2012 disrupted the mobile phone market in France, forcing incumbent operators to adapt quickly. The creation of low-cost brands like Sosh, RED, and B&You was clearly a strategic response to this new competition.
Since this article was published, the telecommunications landscape has continued to evolve. For example, in 2025, Orange remains a major player in the market, with a global mobile customer base of 95,7 million and 15 million fiber optic users. However, the operator experienced a mixed first quarter of 2025, with a 1,3% decline in revenue in France and a slowdown in the recruitment of new subscribers.
Reuters
Freebox universe
Furthermore, the sector is facing major challenges, including the gradual shutdown of 2G and 3G networks, planned for Orange by 2025. This transition raises concerns for many devices still dependent on these technologies, such as elevators, alarms and remote assistance systems.
the Monde.fr
Finally, operators must also navigate a changing environment, marked by the integration of artificial intelligence, cloud services and IoT solutions to meet new consumer expectations.
Bisatel Phone
Thank you again for this article which provides an excellent basis for understanding the evolution of the mobile phone market in France.