2G is preparing to bow out after 30 years of good and loyal service. Free Mobile, constrained by this deadline, unveils its plan to modernize the uses of its most modest customers.
This is nothing new. 2G, a technology which democratized mobile telephony in the 1990s, will gradually die out in France. Faced with this development, Free Mobile unveils its strategy to support its most vulnerable customers, not without raising some important questions.
To go further
Stopping 2G and 3G: the guide to preparing your smartphone
Free Mobile’s situation is unique in the French telecoms landscape. Unlike its historical competitors, Xavier Niel’s operator depends on Orange’s 2G network until 2025, the fateful date which will mark the extinction of this technology.
This technical dependence places the operator in a delicate position, forcing it to quickly anticipate the transition of its customers still equipped with 2G phones.
| Operator | End of 2G | Fine from 3G |
|---|---|---|
| Orange | December 31, 2025 | December 31, 2028 |
| SFR | fin 2026 | fin 2028 |
| Bouygues Telecom | fin 2026 | fin 2029 |
| Free | (December 31, 2025) | (December 31, 2028) |
The strategy adopted by Free: the operator chose a direct approach by contacting its affected customers by email, offering them 4G smartphones at reduced prices.
Three smartphone models
Free offers three smartphone models: the Nokia 225 at €54, the Doro Leva L30 at €104 and the HMD Pulse at €134.
The operator is setting up a payment system in four installments without fees. However, even with these payment facilities, these amounts remain substantial for certain budgets.
This approach, although it may seem commercial at first glance, responds to a real social issue: allowing the most modest users to maintain their connection to the digital world. In short, it is a pragmatic response to an inevitable technical challenge.
3G will follow the same path… another challenge in perspective.
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