Fed up with slow or unreliable land line broadband? Satellite broadband is the next generation alternative and we have some amazing prices for 22Mbps satellite broadband available everywhere in France right now. There’s never been a better time for satellite broadband for expats in France…

Is your existing broadband service too slow and unreliable? Were you thinking that your only broadband option is committing to costs of a new phone line and a broadband connection? Or have you just lost your UK TV channels and would like to get reliable and free access online?

No line rental charges, low cost calls 

Fast, reliable next generation satellite broadband provides you with great value broadband and low cost calls – not to mention the savings you’ll make without the need for line rental charges.

Why go for satellite broadband in France?

If you live in a rural area, satellite broadband will almost certainly be more reliable and much faster than a fixed line (ADSL) connection. Phone lines can  get damaged or suffer from corrosion. Such problems are inevitable as so much of the network is carried on poles (in towns much more network is underground). Network damage may also slow or stop your broadband connection altogether.

Internet reliability and speed is everything!

Depending on where you live in France, there are a range of options that allow you to access satellite TV channels as well.

What else do I need to know?

Getting connected to satellite broadband should be simple and straight-forward:

1. It can be much cheaper and quicker than a new landline. With rural fixed lines, it is common that additional telephone poles are needed to connect your property to the existing network and these typically cost 500€. With satellite, our installation process is much quicker – you can normally get connected within a fortnight.

2. You should be able to transfer an existing French number over.

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In a series about setting up internet access via satellite rather than through a conventional phone line, we look at the cost comparison between the two services and the pros and the cons to setting up satellite broadband in France.

See Part I – everything you need to know about Satellite Broadband in France

Satellite Broadband in France – how to make sure you buy only what you need

To get a normal phone line and broadband service you should expect to pay between 55€ for a remote activation, which will take 7 days, and 124€ if an engineer is required to visit the property – this can take two to three weeks. It will take a further 10 days for the broadband service to go live and the cost will include the activation charge of between 25€ and 30€ and a deposit or rental of a modem (2015).

If there is not and has not previously been a line into the property, the costs can mount depending on circumstances. If there is a telephone pole nearby the cost will be 124€ but you will have to dig a trench from your boundary to your property and drill an access hole in your outside wall for the cable. Orange will only include one telephone point as part of the installation and any more points need to be added by an electrician – or a competent DIYer.

However, if there is no pole nearby, you will be expected to pay for one (or more) and they typically cost 500€ each. In addition if the route has to go over private land the owner may not agree, making this option unavailable – and it may surprise you when we tell you that this is not as uncommon as you think.

So if you live in a rural area, you may have to pay charges to get your phone line broadband set up. Then it is possible that you may discover that the broadband speed is horribly slow and in the worst case, not possible if the distance between the exchange and your home is wide. The typical maximum distance between a property and the local exchange that can support broadband is 5km.

For these reasons (and several more) more people are turning to satellite and it is a trend that has been increasing for some time.

More points in favour of growing satellite phone demand include:

1. The monthly costs are coming down,

2. There are rental options so the higher installation costs can be reduced

3. You can have a telephone service with no line rental costs and cheaper calls.

There is also an added bonus of a quicker installation that takes just 5 and 10 days.

The cost of satellite services in France

A satellite installation has two main costs:

1. Hardware – this can be purchased outright or rented.

2. Installation cost.  You can choose to install it yourself or have a professional installation.  Using a self install kit and videos available on YouTube means that a competent DIY person can manage without difficulty.  Many customers ask for an English speaking engineer, which can also be arranged.

What about the drawbacks or differences?

The biggest difference between ordinary and satellite broadband is that the former allows for a generally unlimited download service whilst satellite services come with specific data download allowances.

The more you pay the bigger the allowance, so it is best to accurately estimate how much you will need. If you exceed your allowance you will not be cut off but the speed of your service will drop dramatically. If that happens you can buy a ‘booster token’ that will give you a further allowance that will be credited to your account. It is not time limited and will remain available until used. If you think that you will frequently need more than your agreement provides you can always upgrade. Upgrading is free (note there is a charge for reducing your allowance).

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We take a look at satellite broadband in France – if you want to know what satellite broadband in France is all about, this is the definitive guide that answers all your questions…

Around 18,000 homes in France choose satellite broadband over traditional telephone line based services, a remarkably low amount. In the UK and Ireland, where there is far better access to a speedy service of traditional broadband, there are more than 20,000 subscribers to satellite broadband. Given the comparatively poor access to fast broadband in France it is perhaps surprising that there are not more satellite subscribers, but many people are confused about how to install this service and what it really means.

Satellite Broadband in France

Often satellite broadband is the only reliable and fast service available in rural areas. Whilst it is generally more expensive to install it could actually be much cheaper if there are no nearby line services, but the deciding factor that is causing many people to turn to this channel for internet services is speed and reliability.

During winter months there will often be a number of telephone lines damaged by storms, and whenever this is the case the phone line repair teams are over-stretched and it is common for the service to take 10 or more days to restore. It makes no difference which provider you use, Orange, SFR or anybody else; the independent sub-contract engineers have to give equal priority to all faults.  Unless you have paid for an enhanced repair service you are in a queue and have to wait for them to get round to you.

Compare this to a satellite service. There are no lines to be damaged by the storms or corrosion of joints in lines at the top of poles, and the speed of the service is just as fast no matter where you live. Your service is delivered between your dish and the satellite and the only occasional problem can be a temporary loss of quality if there is a very heavy storm or snow. However as soon as the storm passes the service returns to normal. Most problems with satellite broadband incidentally, are usually associated with the modems.

Satellite Television in France

The satellites which are used to transmit TV programmes were altered which resulted in widespread loss of access to Sky TV services.  The satellites now in use have a tight beam, meaning that the further south of the Channel you are the more likely you are to lose access to UK TV.

Simply using a larger dish is no guarantee that you will get access to overseas services , but there are alternatives. You can buy a ‘free to air’ set top box to get the free to air French services, TF1, France2, 3, 5 and M6. This will be compatible with a UK TV.  You can also subscribe to Canal Satellite, a service similar to Sky and get some UK TV channels.

If you have a standard broadband service with at least 2Mbps speed, or a satellite service, you can use this to access UK TV catch-up TV. These are services provided in the UK by the major broadcasters who repeat programmes previously aired via digital distribution, allowing access via broadband.  BBC’s iPlayer, ITV Player and Channel4OD (On Demand) are popular examples. These programmes are usually available for 30 days, so it is a convenient way of seeing many popular soaps etc.

Getting the service outside of the UK will require special arrangements. If you have the technical knowledge you can set up a ‘sling box’ to establish your own Virtual Private Network. However most people choose specialist providers. If you subscribe to a satellite broadband service, remember that streaming TV programmes and films uses a lot of data (which is not unlimited as is the case for line based services), so make sure your data allowance is sufficient for your needs.  (See “your satellite broadband questions answered“).

TV programmes via broadband can be shown on your TV if you use an appropriate cable.

You can use a HDMI cable to connect your PC to your TV to get the best sound and picture quality.  Older PCs and TVs may only support a VGA cable, and this will not carry sound.

Comparing the costs – how to make sure you buy only what you need
Frequently asked questions and answers about satellite broad and phone services in France

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The phone, mobile phone and broadband market in particular in France is constantly coming up with deals so it pays to check carefully what your options are – the choice is not as limited as it was just a few years ago, in fact there are so many suppliers and deals it can be hard to know which way to turn. Work out what you need the phone for – frequent calls and texts or just now and again, will you need it for calls to just France, Europe or international, are you travelling in France with someone and may need to be able to contact each other easily via a mobile phone? As with providers in countries around the world there is a huge choice, so make sure that what you buy is tailored to your personal use.

The main providers are France Telecome (Orange) – the main French telecoms company (like BT in the UK), SFR and Bouygues – they have shops in most large towns and shopping centres and sometimes offer exclusive deals if you shop via the internet.

You can purchase contract mobile phones or pay as you go type phones with existing SIM card or a SIM card for use with an existing phone (if it is a contract phone you may need to have it unlocked by your provider) – often it is not much more expensive to buy a new phone with an existing SIM card. It also means that you won’t have to unlock any handsets and can run a French phone alongside another phone if you think it might be useful to have both – for instance if you have a holiday home rather than a permanent home in France or travel frequently to France.

Buying a mobile phone in France

There are some differences that you may not have encountered before when buying a mobile phone in France:

First – you need identification to make your purchase. A passport or driving licence is perfect and some shops may also require a utility bill to confirm your address in France.

We have found that some shops will automatically update your information to a central log of information that requires the phone number, SIM card number and address. Other shops will leave you to this automatically. Check with the sales person when you are making the purchase as if this is not done you won’t be able to use your phone. It is a legal requirement in France to log French mobile phone user details on a Government database.

You may need a pin code to unlock your new phone – the sales person will help with this.

If you are buying a contract phone you will need a French address and a good credit history.

Write your French mobile number down somewhere – it is not displayed on the phone “for security reasons”.

If you don’t understand the tarrifs or the service you are being sold – don’t buy until you do. Persevere with the sales person, look online (and use Google translation if you need to) to understand the different deals because compared to some other countries the French mobile phone market can seem much more complicated and much more expensive.

Using a French mobile phone

If you have a pay as you go phone and need to top up you will find top up vouchers for sale in supermarkets, tabacs, ATMs and from the phone providor. Check for the expiry dates – you can buy a card for €5 that only lasts for one day but generally the more you spend on the card, the longer the credit lasts.

In shops the voucher cards are exchanged at the cash checkout for a receipt with a top-up code to enter. Make sure you enter the code carefully, you only have three attempts and then the voucher code becomes null and void.

Incoming calls are free – you only pay to make calls.

Mobile phone numbers in France start with 06…

Set your mobile phone for use in English – there is a language option menu and you may find it easier to use this than messages and instructions in French.

As soon as you make a connection from a French mobile phone – you will be charged, even if you don’t speak to anyone!

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There seem to be rather a lot of places in France where your mobile won’t receive a signal, especially in rural places. But phone masts are going up at an alarming rate in an attempt to improve signals.

The several mobile telephone providers in France Three of the biggest are:

Bouygues Telecom

A popular provider of mobiles in France.  For more information see their website www.bouygestelecom.fr.

Orange

Orange Ltd is a mobile network operator and an Internet service provider that is a subsidiary of France Télécom who provide the fixed telephone lines in France www.orange.fr.

SFR

The second largest provider of mobiles in France website www.sfr.fr

Pay-as-you-go mobiles in France

French pay as you go mobiles can be easily topped up. Beware that some top up codes have a credit expiry period.

It may be possible to use a French SIM card on your existing mobile phone. Check with your current phone provider if this is the route you want to go as it may be necessary to unlock or upgrade your phone. You may also be able to buy an International SIM card from your provider.

Contract mobile phones  in France

It is can be difficult to obtain a French mobile phone contract in France without a credit history but there are many options available check the providers websites or in shop for the best offers and requirements to set up an account.

It may be useful to enquire from your existing mobile provider to see what options they offer for using your phone in France. Most of them will offer some incentives to keep you using their network.

For more information on Telephones in France.

For more information on setting up the internet in France.

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