Telephony: operator investments decline in 2023
In 2023, according to Arcep data, investments by telecommunications operators and mobile telephone infrastructures reached an amount of 13.8 billion euros. Although this figure represents a decrease of 5.2% from the previous year, it is still higher than levels seen before 2021.
This decrease is explained by a drop in spending on the deployment of very high-speed fixed and mobile local loops, which amounted to 7.7 billion euros, a decrease of 4% compared to 2022. The number of premises connectable to optical fiber has also decreased, from 4.8 million in 2022 to 3.5 million in 2023.
The sharing of fiber optic networks continues to progress. In 2023, 83% of premises were eligible for at least four operators, compared to 75% in 2022. On mobile networks, the pooling rate remains at 47% in mainland France and reaches almost 60% in rural areas.
Telecom operators make more money because households pay more
Fixed services revenue continued to grow in 2023, with an increase of more than 2% compared to 2023 according to Arcep. This increase is largely due to the 5% growth in revenues from broadband and very high-speed services, which has been stimulated by tariff increases since the end of 2022. The prices of fixed broadband and very broadband services increased by 2.8% between October 2022 and December 2023, which contributed to an increase of 4% in the average monthly bill for subscriptions to these services.
The mobile market was also dynamic in 2023. Mobile service revenues increased by 3%, while mobile device sales saw an increase of 5%. However, the prices of mobile catalog offers have decreased, due to the introduction of new plans including lower data volumes. Finally, if fixed telephony sees its prices increase, mobile telephony remains at the center of a price war among operators.
How many French people subscribe to optical fiber?
At the end of 2023, two thirds of internet subscriptions were fiber optic, or 21.4 million out of a total of 32.3 million subscriptions. This increase of 3.3 million subscriptions in one year was mainly to the detriment of subscriptions on copper networks, which decreased to 8.9 million, a drop of 2.7 million.
In terms of very high speed mobile, 5G continues to be deployed rapidly in France. By the end of 2023, 14 million SIM cards were active on 5G networks, representing 17% of the 83.4 million mobile cards in service, an increase of 6 points in one year. At the same time, the use of mobile data has increased significantly, with an average consumption of 14.3 GB per month per customer in 2023, an increase of 18% year-on-year.
Summary of the telecoms sector (fixed and mobile) for 2023
| Indicator | Value | Variation 2022/2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Total operator investments | 13.8 billion euros | -5.2% |
| Investments in very high speed fixed and mobile local loops | 7.7 billion euros | -4% |
| Premises connectable to optical fiber | 3.5 million | -1.3 million |
| Share of premises eligible for at least four operators | 83% | +8 points |
| Mobile network pooling rate (metropolis) | 47% | Stable |
| Mobile network pooling rate (rural areas) | 60% | Stable |
| Fixed service income | +2% | – |
| Income from high and very high speed services | +5% | – |
| Increase in prices for fixed broadband and very broadband services | +2.8% | – |
| Mobile service revenue | +3% | – |
| Mobile device sales | +5% | – |
| Fiber optic internet subscriptions | 21.4 million | +3.3 million |
| Internet subscriptions on copper networks | 8.9 million | -2.7 million |
| Active SIM cards on 5G networks | 14 million | +6 points |
| Average mobile data consumption per month | 14.3 GB | +18% |
