How to check if fibre internet is available where you live in France

France is gradually rolling out fibre internet nationwide, having started the process of replacing the country’s copper ADSL network from January this year. Here is how to check if fibre has reached you.

The best way to check is to use this (extremely detailed) interactive map that shows whether a specific town is already connected, or soon to be connected, to fibre. It has been created - and is updated - by the French communications regulation authority ARCEP (Autorité de régulation des communications électroniques, des postes et de la distribution de la presse).

The map enables you to search for a specific town or address and/or zoom in to a specific area and then shows:

• The fibre deployment rate in the area (with a legend showing the fibre deployment rate by colour)

• Or the status of fibre deployment at the address.

The colour legend is:

• Dark blue: More than 80% already connected

• Blue: 50-80%

• Light blue: 25-50%

• Light green: 10-25%

• Salmon: 0-10%

• White: None

Businesses can also check the offers available (on government website le Service Public) in their area if they wish to connect to fibre.

The majority of the country is already at 50-80% or over, but some areas - for example, near Clermont-Ferrand (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) - are still lacking.

Read also: FULL LIST: Copper internet to end in 162 French communes from Friday
Read more: Millions must switch to fibre as landlines phased out in France 

More detailed information

The map also has an ‘advanced mode’, which you can toggle on and off to the right of the screen. This enables you to see more information about a specific area’s rollout progress. 

For example, the screenshot below shows information about central Bordeaux, and the communes around it. It shows that the city is more than 80% connected, by operators SFR and Orange.

Extra details include:

• The name of the infrastructure operator responsible for fibre deployment (e.g. Orange, SFR, Altice France, other)

• Whether fibre has been deployed in a specific building by zooming in on the map

• The internet operators and speeds for the area

You may also be able to find out more information from the operator that is bringing fibre to the area, and the local mairie should also have more details. 

ARCEP also has a ‘5G deployment observatory’, and a page called l'espace Le Très Haut Débit pour tous, which enables you to track commercial deployments of 5G and 4G+. This is intended to help local authorities and officials to keep track of the arrival of 5G in their area, but individuals can also use it. 

Financial support

There is some financial assistance available to help individual households and businesses gain access to high-quality fibre, in areas in which ADSL is not sufficient and fibre optics have not yet been rolled out. 

Read also: Fibre internet: Scammers exploit copper line phase-out in France 

The scheme is called the ‘dispositif Cohésion Numérique des Territoires’ (digital Cohesion of Territories scheme). The amount available varies between €150-€600 depending on the situation and household resources.

You can find out if you are eligible for any financial help, or see what is available in your area, by contacting a France Services digital advisor, or the Agence Nationale de la Cohésion des Territoires here.