Telephone

Tips to limit cold calls to your home in France

Know the laws and regulations and take steps to prevent unwanted marketing

France starts to phase out 2G and 3G networks

Older mobiles and devices face becoming obsolete as operators wind down older technology

Which French SIM card can I get for admin and government sites?

Check whether the requirement for French telephone numbers has changed

news

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

What numbers should I dial in an emergency in France?

There are various emergency numbers in France, but if in doubt you can call the general EU emergency number, which will redirect your call

Beware of this latest French phone scam

Connexion reader, Malise Ruthven, shares a recent phone scam they fell victim to

Is there a way to call French 0800 numbers from outside of France?

We look at the options for calling ‘special’ phone numbers in France from abroad, including 0800 and short numbers

Many French mobile phone bills set to rise again

‘Rising costs’ blamed for increased telephone contracts to be introduced in next few weeks

New scam alert in France: Family message about ‘broken phone’

Older people are being targeted with messages claiming to be from their child that typically begin with ‘hi mum/dad’ (‘bonjour maman/papa’)

Charging cables to be standardised in European Union from 2024

The European Parliament has adopted a law requiring all portable devices sold in the bloc - such as phones - to have a USB-C port. Laptops will be included from 2026

Mobile phone bills in France rise by up to 120% due to hidden ‘gifts’

Major networks appear to have increased tariffs by stealth after clients reported having extra GB allowances or 5G services added without their request or approval

French 06 and 07 numbers to be reserved for interpersonal calls

With this measure, people will be able to tell if they are being contacted by a friend or family member, rather than for commercial purposes

How can I get rid of an old mobile phone in France without binning it?

We look into the options for exchanging, donating or selling old devices

New scam alert in France over ‘Your parcel has been sent’ texts

Here’s how to avoid falling victim to the trick SMS which has been sent to around 70,000 Android phones. IPhones are now being targeted

How can I check the last caller on my French landline?

This depends on the technical specifications of your device and your operator

French mobile phone bills among lowest in world at average €15 a month

The entry of mobile operator Free into the market ten years ago forced Orange, SFR and Bouygues Telecom to push their prices down

Anti-cold call telephone available in France at ‘group buy’ discount

Consumer group UFC-Que Choisir has secured 11,000 Panasonic phones with an ‘effective’ screening function, which customers can buy for a discounted price

Washing machines, phones: What is new French label of 'repairability'?

An indice de réparabilité is required on certain household products to reflect how easily they can be fixed if faulty or broken

€100 bill for not switching off mobile roaming on France-UK ferry

A Brittany Ferries passenger got the charge on his Orange bill after a recent return trip. We explain why and how to avoid extra costs

France’s anti-nuisance calls service Bloctel breaks down

The service has been ‘offline’ all weekend as it changes operator. Have you noticed more nuisance cold-calls as a result? Plus, we offer tips to deal with unwanted sales calls

Alpes-Maritimes: Driving licences seized for using phone at the wheel

Five drivers including a lorry driver watching a video on his phone have been disqualified for at least one month as gendarmes applied France’s new road safety law

Orange promises 24-hour solution to fixed line faults in France

Orange will install satellite wi-fi hotspots in local mairies to enable people with laptop computers or smartphones to communicate during an outage

Vodafone’s new £2 a day roaming fees to hit customers visiting France

New and upgrading users will be charged from January 2022 as mobile operator joins competitor EE in bringing back fees

11% of motorway drivers in France have phones in hands, study finds

Holding a phone while driving is illegal in France. Around 14% of fatal accidents on French motorways in 2020 were caused by distracted driving

Scientists call for old mobiles to help develop metals recycling plan

There are drop-off points in towns around Grand Est in a bid to stop waste of valuable metals in discarded phones

What are the pruning rules for trees near telephone lines in France?

Property owners in France must allow telephone companies to prune trees near phone lines

New telephone scam costing people in France hundreds of euros

The scammers target landline phones, pretending to be service providers, and trick victims into calling a premium-rate number to test the line

How to sell your old mobile phone in France

100 million phones are lying unused in drawers and only 9% of people sell their old ones, a French Sénat report estimated

Beware of scam Covid-19 appointment calls in France

Organised con teams persuade victims to telephone premium-rate number

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

France switches on 5G, but mobile white zones remain

Since 2018, some 2,066 so-called 'white zones', where there is little or no mobile phone coverage, have been identified

France rolls out national sex crime prevention helpline

National rollout of free helpline follows a successful trial in seven regions

France begins 5G mobile technology frequency roll out

France has today (September 29) opened up billions of euros worth of more 5G frequencies to mobile phone operators, as the country starts rolling out the controversial technology.

Macron: France ‘will adopt 5G’ as a ‘country of innovation’

France “will adopt” 5G and will continue to be a “country of innovation”, French President Emmanuel Macron has said, hitting back at critics of the new technology who would rather an “Amish model”, he said.

France: Law against phone cold calling in place from today

From today (September 1) companies and individuals can no longer make telephone cold calls offering eco-friendly home renovation services in France. Those who do face sanctions.

New French law to stop excessive telephone cold calls

The French parliament has introduced harsher sanctions and fines of up to €375,000 for excessive telephone cold callers, and has completely banned the practice in the energy renovation sector.

Better phone signal in France: Is your town on 2020’s list?

The French government has published an official list of communes across the country that are set to receive improved mobile phone signal coverage - including 4G - by the end of 2020.

Dozens of 5G antennas vandalised in France during lockdown

Dozens of 5G antennas have been vandalised across France, including four in Toulouse (Haute-Garonne, Occitanie) in recent weeks, with the damage attributed to anarchist groups, amid wider scepticism of 5G.

French rights group:Why StopCovid app is too risky

A leading French human rights organisation says it is ‘totally against’ the government’s plan to use a ‘contact tracing’ phone application called StopCovid as part of its deconfinement strategy.

Phone lines open to offer listening ear

Covid-19 sparks rise in online GP services in France

The spread of coronavirus Covid-19 in France has prompted a spike in the use of “telemedicine” services that offer medical advice and doctor’s appointments online.

Warning over fake gendarmes call-back phone scam

Latest 'ping call' scam asks unwitting victims to call premium-rate phone line in west Africa

French NGOs demand stop to ‘out of control’ 5G network

A group of French NGOs is calling for a moratorium on the rolling out of new super-fast mobile phone cellular network 5G in France, saying it could cause “out of control” consequences for society.

Unwanted calls are no longer a problem

Stopping unsolicited phone calls is not rocket science

‘Difficult to apply’ new no-phone French driving law

A new law which would mean a suspended licence for drivers committing an offence while using a mobile phone will be difficult to apply, say lawyers.

French landline number for life?

Geographical telephone numbers could be abandoned in France – paving the way for people to keep their landline number for life.

What changes in France in June 2019

Changes this month include a drop in gas prices, an expected rise in electricity prices, and the launch of an online consultation into whether consumers will be able to keep their landline number for life.

Bloctel: Re-register to keep cold callers quiet

Householders who have signed up to Bloctel – France’s widely criticised cold-call blocking service – have been told they must re-register to remain on its no-call list.

Getting connected in France for the first time

How do I get connected to phone and broadband if there has not previously been any in our property

Save on French phone line fees

Opting for dégroupage total with your ADSL or fibre optic internet can save you €18 a month in landline fees.

France's solution to teenage phone addiction

It is now illegal for pupils to use mobile phones, tablets, smart watches or other connected items in écoles and collèges .

Phones locked away for comedy shows

Comedy fans will be forced to put mobile phones into a locking case if they go to a show by Florence Foresti, who wants to end the “pirating” of her routines on the internet

Orange pulls plug on copper phone system

Telecoms firm Orange is to switch users from the analogue copper wire telephone network – réseau téléphonique commuté (RTC) – and turn to an all-digital system to update and improve the telecoms network.

Orange tariff up €2

Telecoms firm Orange is raising Zen mobile tariffs by €2/month from October 1 but has been criticised for disguising the rise as a download quota increase from 2Gb to 10Gb.

Which protection against power surges during storms?

Lightning and power surges during storms damaged my modem and phone this summer as well as my line which needed repairs. What can I do to avoid this?

Secondary net gains...

In Bob Elliott’s recent Talking Points column (August 2018) regarding the cessation of the Orange Maison Secondaire lines, he seemed to say this would be more expensive.

Seeing red is new Orange

My latest bill from Orange includes a €69 charge for a visit by a technician – yet I saw no-one! I had reported a fault on my line and was told that if the fault was inside my property then I would be charged €69.

French MPs ponder new law to stop cold calls

Opt-out Bloctel system has not worked, says MP who proposed bill to stop nuisance telephone calls

Massive phone network fault fixed

Telephone services back to normal after a day of disruption across France

Major fault hits France's phone network

Telecoms giant Orange says it is working to restore the network as quickly as possible'

Phone deals ‘illegal’

Beware of cheap phone deals

Now you can block calls to expensive numbers

From March 1 telecom operators must offer a way to block calls to surcharged numbers in a bid to stop sky-high bills

Three-digit number that could save your life

Only four out of 10 people in France know the phone number that will allow them to call emergency services from anywhere in Europe

Handy app for parents

Help on the go

Mobile phones banned in school

Change for primary and collège school years

Fair trade reaches mobile phone market

It's easy to repair and is made using sustainable raw materials

Telecoms: still time to act

Telecom firms raised tariffs over summer without giving customers much warning – but clients can still act.

Revealed: Quality of mobile coverage in your area

Telecoms watchdog Arcep launches interactive map that it says shows genuine mobile coverage levels across country accurate to 50m

Environmental agency warns on smartphone ‘waste’

As iPhone X is launched, groups say users must be aware of the natural destruction caused in production

Free EU roaming in time for summer

Roaming fees in the EU are scrapped from June 15, with MEPs voting for a measure meaning calls, texts and internet will cost phone users the same in any EU country.

Internet woe

I read with great interest the article “Mobile and Internet promise” in the August issue.

Beach-goers chill out without Wifi

No phones, no Kindles, no iPads...

Nuisance calls still a pest

A website set up a year ago by the government to stop pest phone cold-callers has been shown to be ineffective.

Check your telecoms bill for sneaky price rise

Consumer group criticises Orange, SFR and Bouygues for quietly increasing tariffs over summer

Use your phone at no extra cost in EU

Roaming charges ended but that does not mean you can use a French mobile to call the UK