4G coverage: backlash for mobile operators

After Free, rebuked for his promises on its fixed rate tenders, Bouygues Telecom and SFR are challenged for their communication on 4G coverage.

All they want to promote their 4G mobile deals, operators are they going too fast in their arguments? Their promotional bidding on the subject, spending less and less on the public square.

If the systematic promotion of maximum rates in 4G is debatable , it is on their arguments related to the geographical coverage of its 4G mobile network, deployment, some are wanting.

Bouygues Telecom has been forced to withdraw a comparative advertisement touting its 4G coverage expressed in milllion people involved. His rival Orange, credited the same figure as SFR, denounced the ad before the Commercial Court of Paris, which gave him reason

It has been criticized for Bouygues Telecom to use estimates for its three other competitors.The court required the operator to withdraw its advertising under pain of a fine of EUR 20 000 per day. It has, however, maintained its advertising comparing the number of cities covered by 4G, which has not been questioned by the court.

SFR warned by the Association Rural Families

In the aftermath, SFR has been assigned by the Association for Rural Families "unfair trade practice". It reproaches to confusion about its promotional communication about 4G.

The association has also remained the operator to change within eight days his communication on this subject. It criticizes SFR to confusion between the coverage of its 3G + network (which improves the throughput of 3G) and 4G.

There is evidence that includes its SFR 3G + and 4G networks to assert that cover the end of 2013, 70% of the metropolitan population in mobile broadband. It is this type of argument is that rural families. She believes that "for the operator, no need to specify either the exact date of transition to 4G, or the percentage or number of customers actually eligible for mobile broadband."

However, communication SFR on 4G coverage has recently been bent in the direction of greater transparency. The operator now says that its 4G network covering 275 cities on 1 October 2013.

Announcing the cover of Saint-Etienne, Toulon and Nantes, he distinguished for the first time the percentage of coverage of these three cities, one of their agglomeration, indicating the rate of 1 October and the end of 2013.

Orange compares the maximum theoretical speeds in 4G rivals

As for Orange, its promotional communication on 4G networks has been no official recrimination. However, the operator had already filed an appeal on the merits of the State Council against Bouygues Telecom following the allocation of frequencies 1800 MHz for 4G this operator.

Having also obtained the withdrawal of comparative advertising on the 4G coverage of its rival, its CEO, Stéphane Richard, has not publicly criticize private Bouygues Telecom, which "would make tons after this shot Jarnac "(note, referring to the allocation of frequencies 1800 MHz).

However, Orange is not the last to compare the 4G networks of its rivals. Through its website "quialameilleure4G. org ", he published a comparative graph boasting a theoretical maximum throughput of 150 Mbit / s against 115 Mbit / s for its two competitors, SFR and Bouygues Telecom.

This argument can be challenged. Would that because the maximum theoretical speeds are at best performance obtained in the laboratory or at the foot of a relay antenna on a 4G network subscriber empty!

In addition, the theoretical performance of 155 Mbit / s can be achieved with a compatible smartphone with a technology (LTE level 4) is not widespread in the market for mobile devices