Internet

Free clients hit by major internet outages in Paris and southeast France

It comes soon after the telecoms company was subject to a major data leak

Letters: Don't sign deals for fibre internet on your doorstep in France

Connexion readers share their experiences signing up to the high-speed network in villages

French authorities launch major crackdown on illegal streaming

The watchdog has already blocked almost 200 sites since the start of the Ligue 1 football championship

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Letters: Upgrading to fibre in France was unnecessarily infuriating

Connexion reader had to pay a €50 fee to cancel previous contract, despite staying with the same operator

Options and rates for prepaid SIM cards in France as Bouygues cards end

You can transfer your old phone number to a new operator. We look at the options

Portable internet service Starlink Mini is now available in France

The satellite-based system allows users to connect to the internet from almost anywhere

Mobile phone and internet cables cut in several areas of France

Vandals have carried out a series of attacks in six departments affecting services with Free, SFR, Orange and Bouygues

Village near Nice fights ‘Wild West’ spread of 5G internet masts

‘Owner of the land next to us was offered €1,000 a month to site a mast,” says local man

How safe are purchases on French classified websites?

Leboncoin is France’s second most-visited website - but is also a hunting ground for scammers

Cable theft leaves French village cut off from internet and phone

Thieves target the valuable copper inside the wire. Such thefts are on the rise

‘Ration internet to 3 GB per week’ in France, pleads former minister

The limit would improve health and the environment and reduce discrimination, she claims

Millions must switch to fibre as landlines phased out in France

People in hundreds of communes have a year to change to fibre, mobile or satellite connection

How do I avoid scams when selling expensive bike online in France?

We look at ways goods are sold online

€300 grant for internet available to millions more French homes

The state grant is to fit a satellite internet connection

What the new digital law will change for people in France

The new rules will ‘protect citizens, children, and businesses’, the digital minister has promised

Map: best and worst areas in France for fibre optic connection

Network operators named and shamed by regulator as fibre rollout marred by complaints of poor connections

Is it legal to use a VPN to watch TV in France?

Virtual private networks can allow you to watch TV from your home country while in France

How did your internet provider score in new service ranking in France?

Ratings were based on reliability of service and customer satisfaction levels

French senator proposes law change to improve fibre optic rollout

The French state should be responsible for connecting homes to the fibre optic network, not private companies, says senator Patrick Chaize

Millions of French homes cannot access high-speed internet, says study

We look at the worst affected areas and what you can do to boost your internet connection

Petition calls for ban on children’s junk food ads in France

A consumer association in France has launched a petition to ban junk food advertising to children on TV and the internet, in a bid to beat childhood obesity.

Wired internet connections fall under new house guarantees in France

New court ruling clarifies issue for property buyers

Musk’s Starlink internet growing popular in France: Your experiences

Some 6,500 people in France have signed up in the past year and Connexion readers who have installed Starlink have positive feedback

5G in France: Mobile operators defend slowdown of rural area rollout

The rollout of the super-fast technology will be delayed in areas with ‘lower population density’ due to the price of energy, the French telecom federation has said

How do I find the best TV and internet provider for my French home?

We look at the online tools which can help you shop around for the best offer

Update: Where is 5G in France now and how is the rollout progressing?

Installation of the next generation of mobile internet coverage in all areas of France began in November 2020 and will take around 10 years

Customers unhappy with mobile and fibre after fast roll-out in France

High-speed internet access has improved but customers are complaining about poor quality service and shoddy installation

Snail-pace data, good deal: Which French mobile operator do you use?

Our readers give their opinions on phone networks, from coverage to cost to internet speed

Too hard, no internet: 33% of adults in France do no online admin

A new study shows that it is mainly older people, those without higher education and the unemployed who struggle most with online procedures

Mass attack on internet cables in France 'almost professional'

A large-scale vandalism incident yesterday has been described as ‘unprecedented’. The attacks are said to have needed good technical knowledge

€300 to €600 grant given to connect more homes in France to fibre

We explain how to check your eligibility for this state support

Elon Musk’s Starlink internet service loses authorisation in France

The supreme administrative court has banned the billionaire’s satellite service frequencies due to environmental concerns

French villagers beat off Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite base station

The locals found out by accident that the station had been approved in their village near the Unesco site Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy

France launches new online platform for reporting internet scams

THESEE enables people to alert the authorities to crimes including romance scams, blackmail and ransomware without having to go to a police station

Russian threat to France’s internet connection is ‘credible’

France’s reliance on international servers makes it (and Europe) particularly vulnerable to a cyberattack or hostile cutting of deep sea fibre optic cables

Thousands in France lose internet in suspected Russian cyberattack

The ‘cyber event’ was targeted at global company Viasat, which supplies around 10,000 customers in France through Nordnet

Internet in France: Complaints about fibre at all-time high

The number of fibre issues reported to the communications mediator exceeded those concerning ADSL for the first time last year – but issues with mobile contracts are still the most common

Father faces jail for blocking children's internet access in France

The homeowner used an illegal signal jammer that accidentally knocked out phone and internet coverage across two communes

Grants to access wireless broadband to double to €300 in France

The aid, which is currently €150, is especially targeted at rural areas and is to help home and businesses with equipment and installation

Internet in rural France: New study shows how bad it really can be

Mobile speeds can be 66% lower than in urban areas, a consumer study has shown, with some speeds ‘barely minimum for accessing basic services’

How can I find the internet speed potential of our home in France?

A new online tool lets you search the search the internet speed for any property in the country

Who wants faster broadband in their French home?

Who doesn’t?

Where internet broadband speed is best in France

Reader question: Which departments or areas in France have the best broadband coverage? I am planning to move house and I need to have a fast connection.

Will 5G be available in rural France?

France is preparing to roll out the new super-fast mobile internet technology to some areas before the end of the year - but there are also obligations in place to improve 4G.

Where can I complain about slow internet speed in France?

After contacting the internet provider's customer service, the next step is to speak to the provider’s consumer service ( service consommateurs )

Can you save money by switching your internet in France?

Recent claims that switching internet supplier could save you €300 a year might be misleading, according to a number of consumers who have tried it

Over 25% of items bought online are dangerous, French authority finds

An assessment of 450 products was carried out between 2018 to 2021. Items that were deemed dangerous include children’s toys and electronics

French countryside better connected to fibre internet than cities

New figures suggest that the rollout of fibre optic internet has been faster in rural areas, with medium-dense areas getting left behind

#Anti2010: France bullying campaign targets pupils born in 2010

Parents of children in French schools are becoming aware of taunting that is making the transition to secondary school even harder for some this year. We explain what to do if you notice it

Villages in France fed up with weak signal install their own internet

Locals have found their own solution to combat the digital divide that means many parts of the French countryside are network dead zones

Websites of major French firms hit by internet breakdown

Leading media such as Le Monde , DIY and sports and home delivery chains were all offline earlier today

High-speed Starlink satellite internet access now available in France

The internet system, run by billionaire Elon Musk, will enable high-speed access in dead zones with no service, but fees are high at €99 a month

Explained: France's controversial anti-terrorism law

The proposed law notably allows reinforced surveillance of internet use using algorithms as attacks are now often carried out by isolated individuals not known to the intelligence services

France’s 5G rollout presents no new risks to health, agency finds

The government is aiming to have the mobile technology functioning in 3,000 places by the end of 2022

French nuns in bid to sell 9,000 bottles of rosé wine by Monday

Abbey sisters place 'Divine Box' wine online after usual fairs cancelled by Covid

What’s new for residents in France in April 2021

It is tax declaration time, while other changes this month affect internet rules, the bicycle repair scheme, gas prices, help with energy bills, and the winter eviction truce

€3.6 billion fibre optic rollout in rural France 'catastrophic'

Problems with faulty installation of fibre optic broadband have been reported across the country and blamed on subcontracting of work by phone companies

Why ADSL broadband fees and phone deals may go up in France

The price of maintaining the old copper lines that are the backbone of the ADSL system is a 'real problem', says provider Orange

Why your address in France may change

Only communes with more than 2,000 residents in France currently have to create a list of addresses with street names and numbers, but this is set to change

€150 aid to access higher-speed internet available in France

Home-owners and tenants in certain communes can now get a one-off payment of up to €150 to improve access to high-speed broadband

Hollywood hero's support phone message for Corsica

Leader of local business association gets action star Chuck Norris to deliver a New Year greeting

Americans discover French TV's famous marmots

Broadcaster France 3's witty animal TV idents go viral

Brexit: Sky stops cross-border online viewing in EU

Some British online media content will no longer be available to people visiting EU countries such as France. Sky is the first firm flagged up as affected by this

Best and worst prices for fibre internet in France revealed

Comparison site Ariase has revealed the highest and lowest internet prices in France, with over €10 difference in monthly costs between providers

96% of France now covered by at least one 4G operator

As well as 76% of the territory now having access to 4G via all four of France’s main operators

Orange to launch 5G next week in 15 French cities

Nice became the first city in France to have the new technology when SFR launched its services last week

French shop owners - what price decent online service?

Samantha David argues that if small shop owners made just a tiny fraction of the online customer service effort of a certain global internet market place, they would have happier clients - and make much more money

France to increase safety tests on 5G waves

The aim is to reassure the public and local officials before technology is rolled out across country.

Lille issues ‘moratorium’ on 5G technology

Lille mayor Martine Aubry has confirmed a moratorium on the controversial technology pending a 2021 report on its possible implications for health

Animal cuts internet cables in southwest France

Engineers take two days to track down the source of the problem - an invasive animal from South America

France: Limited internet ‘should be option’

An official government advisory body in France has clarified that it did not suggest stopping unlimited internet contracts in its recently published report, but wanted to encourage the market to propose more green options.

Stop unlimited internet contracts, official advisors suggest

Stopping unlimited internet contracts has been put forward among 50 other environmentally-friendly suggestions by government advisory body on digital development le Conseil National du Numérique .

Online shopping in France on rise before coronavirus

Lockdown boosted internet shopping, but figures show it was growing in popularity before coronavirus pandemic