All about 4G in ten questions/answers

What does 4G bring compared to 3G?

With 4G, you are first and foremost offered much faster mobile internet. 4G provides speeds 2 to 3 times faster than your ADSL connection at home and 5 to 10 times faster than your 3G mobile subscription.

These performance gains are especially noticeable for downloading (reception) but they are also proven for sending information from your smartphone (transmission). But, if you are a mobile user with a standard mobile Internet consumption, you can also very well be satisfied with the current 3G networks, whose speed performance has also been improved by the operators.

4G, for what uses?

Very high speed mobile allows you to go faster for common uses related to the smartphone such as downloading photos, music albums or watching video, in particular streaming. It is also intended for professionals transferring very large files while on the move or frequently accessing computer applications hosted on servers (email, cloud application.

In terms of new uses, 4G makes it possible to stream high-definition video images as well as live HD television broadcasts on your smartphone or on the larger screen of your tablet. It also becomes possible to play on a network like at home from your PC, thanks to better interactivity due to better fluidity of information exchange in the operators' 4G network.

What do you actually need to benefit from 4G?

To have 4G, you must combine both a compatible mobile (smartphone, most often or tablet more rarely), a SIM card linked to a compatible package and a 4G operator network that covers the geographical area where you are. find. By meeting these three conditions, you will be able to surf at very high speed with your smartphone.

Which mobile operators offer 4G subscriptions?

From October 1, 2013, Bouygues Telecom becomes the third French mobile operator, after Orange and SFR, to launch its 4G package offers nationwide. Virgin Mobile, which will use Bouygues Telecom's 4G network, will launch an offer in early 2014. Finally, we are still awaiting the reaction of Free Mobile, silent for the moment on the subject of 4G but which cannot remain inert for long. Finally, none of the low-cost, no-commitment offers from the three major incumbents (Red, Sosh, B&You) currently includes 4G packages.

In which geographical areas do we have a 4G network already open?

For commercial and technical reasons, the three operators present on the market have deployed their very high-speed mobile network in the largest French cities, representing a dense catchment area, easier to cover. SFR and Orange have increased network openings in large and medium-sized cities since the summer of 2013. For them, it was a question of anticipating the arrival of Bouygues Telecom, which from October 1, 2013, claims to cover 63% of the French population, which will give it an advantage, when its offer is launched, over its two major rivals.

Are there entire geographical areas not covered?

At present, operators claiming to cover 4G between 40 and 60% of the population by the end of the year, it is easy to deduce the proportion of the population not covered! If you live in a rural area, in the suburbs a little far from a big city or in a medium-sized town, you will probably have unpleasant surprises with regard to the 4G coverage of your neighborhood, regardless of your preferred operator. It's up to you to find out from him. Anyway, 4G network coverage remains a leopard skin, with many areas not yet covered. Regulatory obligations in terms of geographical coverage for their 4G networks will not be imposed on operators before 2015.

Is the catalog of 4G mobile terminals extensive?

On the French market, there are around thirty 4G-compatible smartphones. All the major brands on the market have at least one or more models (Samsung, LG, Nokia, Apple, Sony, HTC, Huawei BlackBerry, Motorola, etc.).

Apart from the leading brands (Apple, Samsung), all 4G models of all these brands are not necessarily available from all operators. 4G touch pads are much less numerous on the market. We find a model at Samsung, at Sony or at Google, recently.

4G at what price?

The 3 operators (Orange, SFR, and Bouygues Telecom) offer packages at promotional prices likely to increase in 2014, unless Free Mobile slashes prices again! For now, they are starting their range of 4G packages at 30 euros/month without subsidized mobile, which means buying a 4G smartphone on the market at full price. The first price for a 4G plan with a mobile subsidy and a 24-month commitment varies from 34.99 euros at Bouygues to 42.99 euros at SFR and 40.99 euros at Orange.

But each of these offers is different in its content. SFR includes a paid application in its offer and Orange only offers 2 GB of mobile Internet per month against 3 GB/month with its two rivals.

At the top of the range, the 4G packages offered reach or even exceed 70 euros/month over 24 months with a smartphone. They generally include communication packages to international destinations and from abroad.

Apart from prices, are 4G plans different from 3G plans?

The "all unlimited" formulas (voice, SMS, MMS) having become the norm, it is the monthly volume of mobile Internet, expressed in GB which becomes the discriminating element of the 4G flat rate. This “quota” to be consumed concerns the downloading of applications, the consultation of MMS or emails, the viewing of video or films in streaming.

We are talking about a 3GB or 5GB package corresponding to this volume of Internet data exchanged on the 4G network, excluding wi-fi connection. This component allows operators to sell more expensive packages by providing more generous volumes than 3G. Concretely, the high-end 4G packages, provided you pay the price, allow you to consume up to 6 GB (at Orange), 9 GB (at SFR) and 16 GB (at Bouygues Telecom). But beware, the temptation to regularly consume video, which consumes a lot of bandwidth, can reduce this monthly "quota".

Am I obliged to take a 4G smartphone subsidized by an operator?

No 4G without a new compatible smartphone. But, these cost several hundred euros without subsidy from the operator. Mobile operators are therefore taking advantage of this to relaunch their commercial mechanics of the package with subsidy and 24-month commitment. Hard to escape it. If you break the bank and still buy a new 4G smartphone without going through an operator, you can always take a package with only a SIM card but with a 12-month commitment from SFR and Orange and without a commitment from Bouygues Telecom.

Find our complete file on 4G.

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