French telecom regulator Arcep has ordered SFR and Free Mobile to correct the LTE coverage maps published on their websites after field tests discovered inaccuracies in their coverage claims. SFR has already done so and Free Mobile has been given until 18 July. The tests showed that Orange France and Bouygues Telecom’s 4G maps offered a good level of accuracy, unlike their competitors. “The reliability of Free Mobile’s 4G maps, but especially SFR’s, was weaker”, according to Arcep.
Bouygues Telecom and Orange’s LTE services are available in areas where 70 percent and 66 percent of the population lives, well ahead of SFR and Free Mobile, with 30 percent and 24 percent respectively. The coverage measures service availability for end users, including network sharing agreements, rather than whether operators are meeting licence obligations in terms of building out their own infrastructure.
Arcep also found that Orange and SFR cover over 99 percent of the population with 2G services and around 99 percent with 3G. Bouygues Telecoms covers over 99 percent with 2G and around 96.5 percent with 3G. Free Mobile covers over 99 percent with 2G and about 98.5 percent with 3G. The regulator has published the first of its regular reports monitoring mobile operators' geographic coverage and service quality.
