In 2016, mobile operators Orange, SFR and Bouygues had an efficiency rate of more than 90% in Lyon compared to 72% for Free, according to figures from the research firm Rootmetrics. While these four behemoths were almost tied in terms of call quality and message sending, Bouygues took the lead for network connection and data downloading while the historic operator took the lion's share in terms of network reliability.
The development of fiber, whose eligibility rate in Lyon increased from 76% in 2015 to more than 87% in 2022, and the deployment of 5G were marked by an overall increase in prices among the 4 major operators . This increase of around €1 to €4, which operators attribute among other things to inflation and the increase in energy costs, is also associated with the intensification of competition and the race for deployment of 5G antennas, the amortization phase of which was accompanied by a loss of customers according to Thierry Triponney, in charge of the Lyon mobile plan comparator MonPetitForfait.
Between 2022 and 2023, operators have started to increase prices. This policy has caused many operators to lose customers. Today, they are more in a phase of seduction, to find more.
The proliferation of small operators, who display more advantageous offers, as well as the success of non-binding offers, forces the 4 large operators to revise their prices downward to align with the new competition. To this end, telephone subscriptions have fallen by around 8.5% since 2023 while the average price of mobile plans has fallen to less than €21.50 compared to an average cost of €17.30 for non-binding plans.
The best mobile plans of the moment
While the no-commitment 300 GB mobile 5G plan from RED by SFR, which is accessible for less than €10/month and provides free access to Deezer for 4 months, seems to be unanimous among students and professionals in Lyon . The “Le Turbo” 4G offer from the small operator YouPrice, which is available for less than €8/month and provides access to 150 GB of mobile data, and the “Le Grand” 5G package from the operator Prixtel, which is accessible for less than €7/month and provides access to 140 GB of mobile data as well as unlimited calls, SMS and MMS, sharing the spotlight among the smallest consumers in the Metropolis.
Currently it is a relatively unknown operator which offers one of the best offers on the market by allowing Lyon users to access numerous 4G+ and 5G mobile plans from €4/month… If you don't know yet this telecom troublemaker, we advise you to discover Easy by T for yourself because they offer, among other things, the possibility of choosing between the Orange or SFR network, of benefiting from a SIM or eSIM card but also of issuing unlimited calls/SMS and MMS for a price that is more than content.
Overall improvement in connectivity in Lyon
The Lyon Metropolis, which had more than 200 5G antennas in 2022, currently has 596 active 5G antennas on 343 sites, of which 278 transmit on the 3.5 GHz frequency. Free Mobile, which markets 183 antennas compared to 72 for the historic operator, has 75 3.5Ghz antennas and 108 700 MHz antennas allowing it to display the best 5G coverage in the region. On the other hand, streaming, web browsing, downloading and uploading tests show that Free is largely supplanted by Bouygues telephone in terms of indoor and outdoor connectivity to the 4G mobile network.
Network outages, which more widely affect the Lyon fixed network (fiber and/or ADSL), show more intense peaks at Free and SFR. It should also be noted that SFR and Bouygues Télécom have signed a roaming agreement for so-called white zones (without network), which allows them to pool their infrastructures and ensure a minimum service over a larger area of the national territory.
The quality of the 5G mobile network around Lyon
Orange and SFR, which won the auction for 5G frequency on the 3.4 – 3.8 GHz bands in 2020, own 90 MHz and 80 MHz respectively while Free and Bouygues Télécom are content with blocks of 70 MHz. According to figures published by Arcep on MonRéseauMobile, the historic operator benefits from the best quality of 5G coverage on major roads, TGV routes, intercity and TER trains, RER and transiliens as well as metro routes in Lyon, Paris, Lille, Toulouse, Rennes or even Marseille.
