The best French cell phone plans for expats

by Editor
July 25, 2021

Read the entire article here from CulturePassport February 23, 2021

Quick overview

French Mobile Phone Companies

These are the major French mobile phone companies to know about. You’ll likely see different advertisements and commercials for these networks as you spend more time in France.

Orange – the largest French telecommunications company, generally known for the most extensive coverage
SFR – the second-largest telecom provider in France
Bouygues – the third-largest provider, founded in the 90s
Free Mobile – the newcomer who disrupted the whole industry (akin to T-Mobile in the US)

Something to know is that all of these companies are also the major French internet and television providers. In the US you might have a separate cell phone bill and TV/internet service bill, but in France, these are often bundled together to save money. Of course, you’re not obligated to do this, but it is cost effective if you are a resident.

I’ve never had an issue with any of these networks coverage (I’ve used all of them except Orange, the largest) but if you live in rural area of France, you should probably test out a no-contract plan first before committing to make sure it has good coverage in your area.

Cell Phone Compatibility

If you plan to buy your phone in France, then you don’t have to worry about this section, but if you want to bring an unlocked American phone to France to use, then please read this.

I had an unpleasant experience last March when one day my iPhone just simply stopped working. The phone itself was fine but I couldn’t send or receive any calls or texts nor use my data to access the internet (Safari, Instagram, banking apps) – literally nothing. It was like I had no SIM card in the phone at all.

After three visits to the Apple store, and a visit to the Free store, we determined that my unlocked American cell phone was not compatible with the Free network. They said it never was and I was lucky to have used it for 7 months at all.

I was pretty shocked by this. You see, when you buy an unlocked iPhone in the US, they tell you it can be used anywhere in the world!

Guess what? That’s not true.

I learned the hard way that there are four regional types of the same iPhone and Apple doesn’t guarantee that the type you have will work in other parts of the world, other than where you got it. It may very well work like mine did, but it’s not guaranteed.

Visit https://www.apple.com/iphone/cellular/ and find your cell phone by model to see where it’s truly compatible.

Read full article here from Selectra,

What You Need to Sign up for a Mobile Phone Plan in France

You can sign up for a phone plan with a provider in one of their retail boutiques, online, or over the phone. You will need to have the following information with you when signing up for a mobile phone plan in France:

Your contact information: name, email address
Your full address: street address, apartment number, zip code
Your banking information (RIB): you need to have a French bank account already set up before you sign up for a postpaid mobile phone plan. Some suppliers may also ask for your bank card (carte bancaire) information, which is used for activation fees/deposit.

Read the entire article here from CulturePassport February 23, 2021 Quick overview French Mobile Phone Companies These are the major French mobile phone companies to know about. You’ll likely see different advertisements and commercials for these networks as you spend more time in France. Orange – the largest French telecommunications company, generally…