After letting the three main operators present their 5G offers, Free unveiled its strategy to issue the new mobile network.

As usual, this results in slashed prices, much cheaper than competitive packages.

But this 5G does not offer the performance initially promised.

DECRYPTION

That's it, all operators have launched their 5G network.

After SFR, Bouygues and Orange, Free, the usual telecoms troublemaker, was long overdue.

On Tuesday, the fourth operator finally lifted the veil on its strategy and, as expected, did nothing like the others.

From the outset, Free has announced that it will cover 7,700 municipalities, or 40% of the territory, with 5G.

Above all, it highlights a package compatible with the new network and integrating 150 GB of mobile data for only 19.99 euros per month, three times cheaper than the equivalent packages of Orange, SFR and Bouygues.

But this hides a network at a discount.

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A low cost 5G

In fact, to offer such an attractive offer, Free uses a trick: the "fake 5G".

To broadcast the new network, the other operators are using 3.5GHz frequencies, dedicated to 5G and which offer a very fast speed.

Some, in places, also use the 2.1GHz frequencies, partially occupied by other waves.

Free, it will broadcast an overwhelming majority of its 5G on the frequencies of 700GHz, already used for 4G.

In fact, this concerns 96% of the antennas used by the operator for 5G (in green on the map below).

© Free

Except that it amounts to driving a Ferrari in the city center: it is possible but the power is limited.

In fact, the speed of Free's 5G will be barely faster than that of the current 4G since it will use the same pipes which are already well congested by other networks.

These are powerful waves, which pass through walls well, but which, on the other hand, do not offer very high flow rates.

This trick is legal, Arcep authorizes operators to broadcast 5G on several frequencies, provided users are correctly informed by means of a map made public (the one above).

DECRYPTION >>

How to distinguish the "real" 5G from the "false"?

Strategy of the troublemaker

For Free, which does not have the technical and financial resources of its competitors, this strategy makes sense.

Converting 4G antennas to emit 5G costs much less than installing new ones, the “real” antennas.

This also allows Free to cover large portions of France, particularly in rural areas, where other operators are currently mainly present in and around large cities.

Thus, the operator can hope to attract new customers attracted by the lower prices.

The risk is that they will be disappointed by its inefficient 5G network.

The end will surprise you.

pic.twitter.com/Vo8bYfXgXK

- Free (@free) December 15, 2020

This launch is also accompanied by a typical Free communication.

"No bullshit! At Free, 5G is included for the same price": it is Xavier Niel in person who makes this enticing promise in an advertisement posted online Tuesday morning, and massively relayed on social networks in the day.

Faithful to his model, the boss of the operator plays free electrons in the highly codified world of telecoms.

A strategy that had proven to pay off on 4G since it is now, in terms of number of subscribers, the third operator on mobile, ahead of Bouygues Telecom.