French mobile network operator Free, owned by telecom giant Iliad Group, announced the launch of 5G Standalone (SA) services across France. According to the company, this launch makes Free the first operator in France to deploy 5G SA nationwide.
“Today, Free is announcing that it has deployed 5G SA (Standalone Access) on the 3.5 GHz frequencies of its public network on a national scale. By doing this, it has become the first mobile operator in France to offer this technology to its subscribers,” read the company’s translated press release.
The company has activated 5G SA at 6,950 of its 20,000 5G sites nationwide. Customers with compatible devices can access this new technology at no additional cost. The new 5G SA architecture promises higher speeds, reduced latency, and opens the door to numerous new use cases such as extended reality and network slicing.
“5G SA is the final phase of the development of the 5G network, enabling faster speeds, lower latency, and higher reliability,” explained Free. “Its large-scale deployment will allow the full potential of 5G technology to be realized through the massive take-up of new services and 5G applications in many domains, ranging from industry, health, education, and entertainment through to smart cities.”
Although Free claims the deployment is on a national scale, this might not be synonymous with nationwide coverage. Their 20,000 5G sites cover approximately 95% of the French population, indicating that many sites still need to be upgraded for complete national coverage.
This announcement follows a recent move by EE (BT), which launched its 5G SA technology in 15 cities. Unlike Free, EE offers this service through new premium packages, and existing customers will not have access unless they upgrade their plans.
Conversely, both Virgin Media O2 and Vodafone have taken a different approach. They allow existing users to access their new networks at no extra cost.
