French telecom operator Free Mobile, part of the Iliad Group, has become the first in France to roll out 5G Standalone (SA) and 5G Voice over New Radio (VoNR) services. The 5G SA network is now live nationwide, covering more than 50% of the population. Free has also enabled VoNR, allowing customers to make calls over 5G, marking a first in the French market.
The company has upgraded its core network to support these 5G SA services through 6,950 cell sites using the 3.5 GHz band. By the end of June, 50.5% of the French population was covered by this network, while overall 5G coverage, including both 3.5 GHz and 700 MHz bands, reached 93.9%. This figure has since grown to nearly 95%, covering almost 10,500 towns and cities.
Free Mobile sees the launch of these new services as an opportunity for growth, particularly for its Free Pro brand, with new B2B use cases on the horizon. For individual customers, 5G SA access will be available at no extra cost for those subscribed to the ‘Forfait Free 5G’ plan, which is priced at EUR 19.99 per month. Customers will need to activate the service through the online customer portal.
Free also noted that its technical team has tested a variety of compatible handsets, including several models from Samsung, to ensure readiness for the 5G SA and VoNR services.
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