§  1,197 more municipalities covered by 4G and 531 by 4G+

• 4G+ up to 300 Mbit/s now available in Dijon
• Mobile network quality of service: According to the barometer of mobile Internet connections published by nPerf, SFR achieved a spectacular progression in the first quarter of 2017 and now ranks second in the overall ranking
• 151,000 new homes and businesses eligible for fiber connections⁽¹⁾ in 88 municipalities

 

1,197 more municipalities covered by 4G and 531 by 4G+

In March, SFR maintained its rapid pace of deployment, further extending its 4G/4G+ network.

According to the French National Frequencies Agency (ANFR) ⁽²⁾, SFR remained the operator that activated the largest number of new 4G sites for the sixth consecutive quarter in France.

Over the month, 1,197 new municipalities – such as Carvin, Fos-sur-Mer and Saintes – benefited from 4G coverage, while 531 discovered 4G+ such as Brive-la-Gaillarde, Chalon-sur-Saône or Grasse (see lists at the end of this release).

 

This deployment momentum, enabled by the creation of a genuine production factory and backed by unpredented levels of investment (€2.3 billion in 2016), will continue in 2017 to reach the target of more than 90% of France’s population covered by 4G at the end of the year.

 

Beyond the extension of 4G/4G+ coverage, these massive deployments also make it possible to improve the quality of service of the network. As shown by the results of the last barometer of mobile Internet connections published by nPerf ⁽³⁾, SFR recorded a spectacular increase in the quality of service of its mobile network in the first quarter of 2017 and is now in second place in the overall ranking. This independent barometer also highlights the performance of the 4G+ network for which SFR obtains the best connection rate.

 

4G+ up to 300 Mbit/s now available in Dijon

Responding to customers’ needs and practices, SFR is investing, innovating and providing them with increasingly powerful technologies. In 2016, SFR introduced 4G+ up to 300 Mbit/s, a technology that offers eligible customers theoretical maximum speeds up to three times higher than standard 4G. After Orleans and Mulhouse in February, SFR extended its 4G+ up to 300 Mbit/s service to Dijon in March.

 

Currently, Brest, Clermont-Ferrand, Dijon, Grenoble, Le Havre, Nancy, Nantes, Metz, Reims, Valenciennes and eleven cities of the Paris Region benefit from this technology (see list at the end of this release).

 

With a compatible terminal, the uses are accelerating considerably: a series of 10 episodes downloads in 2 minutes when it takes 6 minutes in 4G, 100 photos in 10 seconds vs 30 in 4G.

 

In addition, 4G+ up to 300 Mbit/s enables all SFR customers, businesses and consumers alike, with 4G terminals in covered areas, to benefit from an increased average speed. Indeed, this technology, an evolution of 4G that aggregates three 4G frequency bands, makes it possible to increase the total capacity of the 4G network and thus the speeds everyone enjoys. With the arrival of 4G+ up to 300 Mbit/s, customers equipped with 4G naturally benefit from a significant improvement in quality of service and in browsing comfort.

 

Fiber: 151,000 new homes and businesses eligible in 88 municipalities

In March 2017, 151,000 new homes and business premises were made eligible for fiber connections in 88 municipalities across France. Twenty three of these are new to the world of fiber, such as Cauchy-à-la-Tour, Hayange, Saint-Rogatien or Savigny-sur-Orge while 65 benefited from extensions of their coverage, including Anglet, Auchel, Magnanville, Meyzieu and Périgny (see lists at the end of this release). SFR’s fiber services are now available in more than 1,400 French municipalities.

 

SFR is France’s leading FTTH/FTTB provider with more than 9.3 million eligible connections⁽¹⁾ and – thanks to its massive investments – intends to stay ahead with its rollout plan to reach 11 million eligible connections in 2017

 

Michel Paulin, SFR’s CEO, commented: “During March, SFR still intensively deploys its superfast broadband networks throughout France. In the first quarter of 2017, as for the last six consecutive quarters, SFR is the operator who has switched on the largest number of 4G sites in France, according to the French National Frequencies Agency. In addition to expanding our mobile network, these massive deployments allow a significant improvement in the quality of service of our mobile network, as shown by the results of the latest nPerf barometer in which SFR ranks second in the overall ranking! As for our fiber network, with 151,000 new homes and business premises eligible for fiber connections in March, SFR proves its decisive contribution to the extension of the fiber network in France.”

 

4G+ and 4G+ up to 300 Mbit/s are available at no extra cost to SFR customers with 4G subscriptions and compatible terminals. Eligibility for fiber, mobile coverage and the detailed content of the offerings are available on sfr.fr

 

 

⁽¹⁾ fiber with coaxial or optical termination, according to eligibility.

⁽²⁾ The Observatoire 2G/3G/4G, produced by the Agence Nationale des Fréquences (National Frequencies Agency), is available in French on the website : www.anfr.fr

⁽³⁾ The barometer of mobile Internet connections in metropolitan France of the Q1 2017 realized by nPerf is available in French on the website :  https://media.nperf.com/files/publications/FR/2017-04-11_Barometre-connexions-mobiles-metropole-nPerf-2017-T1.pdf  

 

4G – March 2017

The new municipalities of more than 5,000 inhabitants covered by SFR’s 4G network in March 2017:

Grasse, Fos-sur-Mer, Velaux, Carnoux-en-Provence, Saintes, Tonnay-Charente, Saint-Jean-d’Angély, Surgères, Marennes, Bailleul, Fourmies, Vieux-Condé, Wambrechies, Merville, Quesnoy-sur-Deûle, La Bassée, Estaires, La Gorgue, Carvin, Lillers, Beuvry, Isbergues, Leforest , Loos-en-Gohelle.

 

4G+  –  March 2017

The new municipalities of more than 5,000 inhabitants covered by SFR’s 4G+ network in March 2017:

Chauny, Grasse, Cagnes-sur-Mer, Le Cannet, Mougins, Valbonne, Port-de-Bouc, Berre-l’Étang, Rognac, Septèmes-les-Vallons, Venelles, Carnoux-en-Provence, Saint-Victoret, Simiane-Collongue, Ruelle-sur-Touvre, Aytré, Saint-Jean-d’Angély, Nieul-sur-Mer, Marennes, Dompierre-sur-Mer, Mehun-sur-Yèvre, Brive-la-Gaillarde, Malemort-sur-Corrèze, Chenôve, Périgueux, Terrasson-Lavilledieu, Le Bouscat, Eysines, Bassens, Le Barp, Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, Chambray-lès-Tours, Fondettes, Luynes, La Ville-aux-Dames, Champagnole, La Baule-Escoublac, Pornichet, Thouaré-sur-Loire, Haute-Goulaine, Fleury-les-Aubrais, Olivet, Saint-Jean-de-Braye, Saran, Ingré, Tomblaine, Malzéville, Heillecourt, Moulins-lès-Metz, Armentières, Anzin, Raismes, Bruay-sur-l’Escaut, Saint-Saulve, Aniche, La Chapelle-d’Armentières, Louvroil, Trith-Saint-Léger, Wallers, Hersin-Coupigny, Coulogne, Mourenx , Eckbolsheim, Fegersheim, Chalon-sur-Saône, Saint-Rémy, Châtenoy-le-Royal, Saint-Marcel, La Crau, Ollioules, Carqueiranne, Le Beausset, Bandol, Saint-Mandrier-sur-Mer, Gérardmer, Thaon-les-Vosges.

 

4G+ up to 300 Mbit/s – March 2017 

List of municipalities covered by 4G+ up to 300 Mbit/s:

Dijon, Brest, Grenoble, Nantes, Orléans, Reims, Nancy, Metz, Valenciennes, Clermont-Ferrand, Boulogne, Clichy, Issy-les-Moulineaux, Montrouge, Suresnes, Aubervilliers, Montreuil, Vitry-sur-Seine.

 

Fiber – March 2017

New municipalities covered by SFR’s fiber network in March 2017:

Dompierre-sur-Mer, Saint-Rogatien, Bouglainval, Bouguenais, Hayange, Ranguevaux, Belle-Église, Boran-sur-Oise, Fresnoy-en-Thelle, La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin, Mello, Rivecourt, Versigny, Villeneuve-sur-Verberie, Villers-sous-Saint-Leu, Cauchy-à-la-Tour, Méricourt, Noyelles-sous-Lens, Rouvroy, Saint-Martin-Boulogne, Dinsheim-sur-Bruche, Guyancourt, Savigny-sur-Orge.

 

Municipalities where the fiber coverage was extended in March 2017:

Ajaccio, Cannes, Le Cannet, Nice, Troyes, Arles, Vitrolles, Marseille, Caen, Hérouville-Saint-Clair, Périgny, La Rochelle, Bourges, Chenôve, Dijon, Besançon, Besançon, Vernouillet, Brest, Ramonville-Saint-Agne , Toulouse, Bordeaux , Béziers, Lattes, Le Coteau, Orléans, Angers, Lorient, Auchel, Avion, Divion, Fouquières-lès-Lens, Lens, Méricourt, Noyelles-sous-Lens, Anglet, Bayonne, Villefranche-sur-Saône, Meyzieu, Lyon, Le Mans, Chambéry, Paris, Le Havre, Villeparisis, Magnanville, Montigny-le-Bretonneux, Sartrouville, Auxerre, Antony, Bourg-la-Reine, Châtillon, Clamart, Courbevoie, Fontenay-aux-Roses, Montrouge, Rueil-Malmaison, Sceaux, Vanves, Coubron, Gagny, Charenton-le-Pont, Créteil, Saint-Maurice, Herblay.