Internet boxes in France in 2026: technologies, rights and costs

The five box technologies in France in 2026

The French market combines five families of internet boxes, defined by access technology. The choice available to you depends on the infrastructure deployed at your address by operators and local authorities. The latest official figures come from quarterly ARCEP observatories.

1. Fiber FTTH

Fiber to the Home runs an optical cable directly into your residence. This is now the reference technology. According to ARCEP's high and very-high-speed broadband observatory, more than 39 million premises were FTTH-eligible at the end of 2025, about 92.6% of the total stock. Advertised downstream speeds range from 300 Mbps to 8 Gbps, with upstream speeds that are often symmetric. Latency sits at 5 to 10 ms, suitable for remote work, video calls and online gaming.

Deployment follows three zones: very-dense zones with infrastructure competition, AMII zones (Orange and SFR), and public initiative networks (RIP) financed by local authorities. This is why two neighbouring addresses may be eligible to different operators.

2. VDSL2 over copper

VDSL2 reuses the existing copper telephone pair. Downstream speeds can reach 70 to 100 Mbps if you live within a kilometre of the local exchange (NRA), but collapse quickly beyond that. It remains a stop-gap in towns where copper is still active.

3. Standard ADSL

ADSL also uses copper. Downstream speeds top out around 15 to 20 Mbps and upstream at 1 to 2 Mbps. Orange, the historical owner of the copper loop, has begun phasing it out town by town. The official commercial shutdown schedule extends to 2030. Affected subscribers will receive individual notices and must migrate to fiber or another technology.

4. Coaxial cable

The coaxial network, operated mostly by SFR (a Numericable legacy), covers some urban areas at 100 to 500 Mbps. Local bandwidth is shared, so speeds can drop in the evening peak. Cable coverage no longer grows and is gradually being replaced or complemented by fiber.

5. 4G/5G fixed-wireless

Fixed-wireless boxes deliver internet over the mobile network through a router with integrated antennas. Speeds depend heavily on mobile coverage at your address: 50 to 150 Mbps on 4G in normal conditions, up to several hundred Mbps on 5G. These offers usually include a monthly data allowance (from 100 GB to unlimited) with a fair-use policy. Run an eligibility and coverage test before subscribing.

Triple play and quadruple play: what is bundled

Almost every box subscription in France is a triple play offer: internet, VoIP landline and IPTV television. Base TV bundles typically include 100 to 230 channels depending on the operator and tier. Premium channels (sports, cinema) are sold a la carte as paid options.

Quadruple play adds one or more mobile plans to the bundle. The bundled discount can save 5 to 15 EUR per month versus separate subscriptions, but ties the household more tightly to one operator. Number portability remains a right guaranteed by the French Postal and Electronic Communications Code (Code des postes et des communications electroniques): your landline and mobile numbers belong to you and can be carried when switching.

If you do not use IPTV, several operators sell internet-only plans that shave 5 to 15 EUR per month off the bill.

Real-world speeds observed in 2026

Advertised speeds are theoretical. Actual throughput depends on your line, your equipment and the time of day. ARCEP's annual fixed quality-of-service report and crowdsourced measurements from nPerf give a working baseline:

• Fiber 1 Gbps FTTH: 600 to 950 Mbps over Ethernet, 400 to 700 Mbps on Wi-Fi 6 depending on distance.
• Fiber 8 Gbps FTTH: capped by the connected device (a 1 Gbps Ethernet port cannot exceed 1 Gbps).
• VDSL2: 40 to 90 Mbps downstream for subscribers closest to the NRA.
• ADSL: 5 to 15 Mbps downstream in semi-urban areas, sometimes lower in rural ones.
• 4G fixed: 40 to 100 Mbps in normal conditions, up to 300 Mbps with excellent coverage.
• 5G fixed: 200 to 800 Mbps, sensitive to cell congestion and distance to the antenna.

Cancellation rules: Loi Chatel and statutory deadlines

French law strictly frames internet box cancellation, mainly through articles L.224-27 and L.224-28 of the Consumer Code (Loi Chatel and the Loi pour une republique numerique). Three rules structure your rights.

Statutory renewal notice

For contracts with tacit renewal (12 or 24-month commitment), the operator must notify you in writing of the renewal cut-off date between three months and one month before the deadline. If the notice is late or missing, you can cancel free of charge at any time.

10-day effective cancellation

Once you submit your cancellation request, it must take effect within a maximum of ten days after the operator receives it, unless you explicitly request a later date (for example, a scheduled move). This applies even if you are within a commitment period: the cancellation is effective in ten days, and any early-termination fees are settled separately. Landline number portability is processed in the same procedure, free of charge.

Early termination fees

Without a commitment, no early termination fee can be charged. With a 12-month commitment, you owe the remaining monthly fees until the end of the period. With a 24-month commitment, you owe all monthly fees of the first 12 months if you cancel within that window, then 25% of the remaining monthly fees for the second year. Waived setup fees can also be re-billed.

Several legal grounds allow cancellation without early termination fees: documented move to a non-covered address, recognized over-indebtedness, force majeure, death of the subscriber, unilateral contract modification by the operator. The DGCCRF supervises compliance with these commercial practices.

Security deposit and equipment return

The box, TV decoder, remote and adapters remain the operator's property throughout your subscription. A few operators ask for a security deposit at subscription. When such a deposit is charged, it cannot exceed the value of the equipment and must be refunded once the equipment is returned in good condition.

On cancellation, you have 14 to 30 days to return the equipment depending on the CGV. Non-return or damage triggers invoicing, typically 50 to 300 EUR depending on the device (entry-level box, 4K decoder, mesh repeater). Keep the original packaging, photograph the equipment before shipping, request a delivery receipt and keep the carrier tracking number.

How to read the CGV (terms and conditions) before subscribing

Beyond the headline price, several clauses determine total cost and flexibility:

• Commitment duration and exit conditions: "no commitment", 12 months or 24 months, and the matching fee schedule.
• Post-promotion price: most committed offers apply a promotional price for 12 months, then a standard price often 10 to 15 EUR higher.
• Default-active options: premium channels on trial, cloud storage, antivirus that start billing automatically after a free period.
• Setup and reactivation fees: usually 0 to 49 EUR, often waived during promotion but re-billed in case of early cancellation.
• Equipment and security deposit: list of provided hardware, value and return conditions.
• Fair-use policy: for 4G/5G boxes, the data cap above which speeds are throttled.

The DGCCRF supervises these practices under the Consumer Code and publishes regular sector reports. You can flag misleading practices through the official SignalConso platform.

Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7: what changes in 2026

Wi-Fi distributes the internet connection inside your home. Box performance depends as much on the Wi-Fi as on the fiber feed.

• Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac): still present on entry-level boxes. Adequate for moderate use (1 to 3 devices, HD streaming).
• Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax): the standard on fiber boxes sold in 2026. Handles many devices, reduces latency, supports theoretical speeds up to 9.6 Gbps.
• Wi-Fi 6E: Wi-Fi 6 extended to the less-crowded 6 GHz band. On premium boxes.
• Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be): rolling out since 2025 on selected offers (Sosh Fibre, Freebox Pop S). Supports band aggregation and very low latency. Requires compatible client devices.

A central box covers 50 to 80 m2. Beyond 100 m2 or with load-bearing walls, mesh Wi-Fi repeaters provided by some operators significantly improve coverage.

Consumer rights guaranteed by French law

Several rights apply systematically to every internet box subscription, regardless of operator:

• 14-day right of withdrawal for distance contracts (online or by phone), under articles L.221-18 and following of the Consumer Code. Equipment must be returned.
• Free landline number portability handled by the new operator on presentation of your current number.
• Transparent information on speeds, fees and cancellation conditions (article L.111-1 of the Consumer Code).
• Fee-free cancellation when the operator unilaterally modifies the contract (price or service change).
• Free mediation via the Mediateur des communications electroniques after two months without a satisfactory reply from customer service.
• J'alerte l'Arcep platform to report persistent dysfunctions (loss of service, throughput far below contractual commitment).

Switching operator: step by step

Switching has been simplified by regulation. Subscribe with the new operator and it takes care of cancelling your existing contract with the outgoing operator.

In a mutualised fiber area (a single network shared by all operators), the switch often takes place without a technician visit, usually in 10 to 15 days. When the technology changes (ADSL to fiber, or a first raccordement), a technician visit is scheduled and the wait is 2 to 4 weeks.

Before switching: check your current commitment end date, the applicable early termination fees, and address-level eligibility on the ARCEP tool. Some operators reimburse part of the outgoing cancellation fees (check the exact conditions in the commercial offer).