With several months late, ARCEP finally reveals its latest report on the quality of mobile networks. Cut into several parts, the study unveils the best operator in urban and rural areas, but also some places where it is bad: transport axes.
Users of the metro, RER, Transilien or TGV, it has happened to us to wait for an eternity the loading of its series because the network is to absent subscribers. If certain transport axes are covered at an acceptable level, others are real white areas in places, which is annoying if you try to pass the time on your journey.
In its latest report on the quality of the mobile network in metropolitan France, the Arcep delivers details on the coverage in transport and the best operator who is doing on these traffic lanes. Here’s what it comes out. Consult our package comparator to find an offer in line with these results.
Read also:
Who is the best mobile operator in 2025: Bouygues, Free, Orange or SFR?
The state of the mobile network in public transport
ARCEP has led tests on the mobile networks of the four major operators on five transport lines: roads, TGV, TER, Transilians and metros. Overall, the quality of the mobile network is high on road axes as well as on the network of transilians and metros.
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On the other hand, it is still lacking on the TGV and TER lines. In the latter, maintaining a quality network over the entire journey is extremely difficult. There are certain obstacles to waves such as tunnels and white areas, but antennas at regular intervals along the tracks would also be needed to maintain the connection. A real technical challenge.
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There is always the Wi-Fi network of TGVs to overcome the lack of network, but it is not the best of solutions either. On the one hand, these networks quickly arrive at saturation if the train welcomes many passengers. On the other hand, it is very likely that the Wi-Fi standard of the Network of Inoui TGV is Wi-Fi 5 which is far from the most secure. On board a train, it is advisable to use a VPN and not to launch sensitive applications like those of online banks.
Orange, best mobile operator on transport axes
According to ARCEP, Orange is by far the best mobile operator on transport axes, both on communications and on the quality of the Internet service. The historic operator stands out in particular on the TGV network with 78 % communications maintained for two minutes, followed by Free Mobile which is 60 %. Same thing on the rate of web pages loaded in less than 10 seconds, it reaches 82 % at Orange, followed by Free Mobile at 72 %.
Orange announces in its press release coming to the top of all the evaluation criteria on the axes of transport. The Arcep indicates, however, that the historic operator is being overdue by Bouygues Télécom, although a short head, on successful and maintained communications in the metro.
More generally, Orange displays excellent results as indicated by these patterns, but also on all the tests carried out by ARCEP. Even if it has been dismissed from eight evaluation criteria, Orange is considered by authority to be the best mobile operator in the metropolis.
In terms of other operators, Free Mobile and SFR do less well on urban networks (transilians, metros) without being bad. Probably because Bouygues Télécom is the best of four mobile operators in dense circles. Conversely, Bouygues is doing less well in rural areas, which is reflected in its results on TGV and TER networks which are the lowest.
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