Free currently has the largest 5G network in France, with more than 20,000 active sites, including 6,950 operating on the 3.5 GHz band. This network covers nearly 10,500 municipalities, reaching approximately 95% of the French population. Not content with its top-of-the-class status, the operator announces that it has deployed 5G SA (Standalone) on the 3.5 GHz frequency band nationwide, becoming the first operator in France to offer this technology to its subscribers.
As a reminder, 5G SA relies on infrastructures that are entirely dedicated and independent of 4G networks, unlike 5G NSA (Non-Standalone), which relies on existing 4G infrastructures to offer increased performance. If you sometimes found Free’s 5G network too slow, this should no longer be the case.
The advantages of 5G SA
There 5G SA represents the ultimate evolution of 5G networks, delivering higher speeds, reduced latency and improved reliability.
Its large-scale deployment will make it possible to fully exploit the potential of 5G technology, facilitating the development of new services and applications in various sectors such as industry, smart cities, health, education and entertainment.
This technology will also bring benefits to businesses and public entities by allowing them to offer services requiring optimized performance, with reduced latency times and faster speeds. The operator wants to make this a strong argument for Free Pro, its entity dedicated to businesses.
True to its spirit of innovation, Free mobilized its network teams for several months to successfully complete this ambitious project, requiring the construction of a new network core and an accelerated deployment of 5G in 3.5 GHz.
Unfortunately for Apple customers, no iPhone is currently compatible (see iPhone network page). Only a few Samsungs are eligible.
Free, first operator to launch VoNR in France
Thanks to 5G SA, Free also becomes the first operator to launch the VoNR (Voice over New Radio) in France. This technology allows voice calls to be managed via the 5G network, offering several advantages: faster call setup time, reduced latency, better audio quality and longer battery life for phones. An alternative to VoWiFi.
If you are interested, please note that Free Mobile is offering a promotion on its 160 GB 5G plan at €10.99 on its website.
Note: iPhoneSoft uses affiliate links whenever possible. When you click on a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission, which helps us maintain this site and does not generate any additional costs for you.
