Free wins the nPerf barometer gold medal. Understand that the operator offers the fastest broadband and very high-speed network in France. It is thus ahead of Orange for the first time, now in second position. Bouygues Telecom is third and SFR is dead last. nPerf however notes a slightly lower latency compared to Orange.
With the global epidemic has taught us that working remotely is fully possible. The tools exist. Just equip yourself. A good computer. A comfortable armchair. A desk. Software to stay in touch, such as Teams or Zoom. And of course a good internet connection. Preferably fiber. The influx of employees who work from home has encouraged public authorities to invest massively in the rapid deployment of fiber optics. In November 2021, we reported in our columns the commitment of 150 million euros from the government to help operators.
Read also – 5G: for Free, the key to success is to lower the price of packages
But the comfort of telework will depend a lot on the quality of the Internet connection. Hence the interest of barometers such as those of nPerf. The latter published the 2021 edition of the version devoted to optical fiber and ADSL. And, according to the document, Free has become the operator offering the fastest fixed Internet connections in France, thus taking the place of Orange, which has been at the top of the rankings for years. Remember that this barometer is based on millions of tests in real conditions carried out by Internet users. The 2021 edition is based on 6.7 million tests carried out in metropolitan France.
Free’s ADSL and fiber optic network is faster than that of Orange, SFR and Bouygues Telecom
Let’s go into detail. All technologies combined (ADSL, fiber optics, etc.), Free far exceeds its competitors with a download speed of 225Mbps, against 179Mb/s at Orange in second position. Free recorded an increase of 59% compared to 2020, allowing it to take pole position in the nPerf ranking. Bouygues Telecom, in third position, is close behind Orange with 178Mb/s. SFR, in last place, offers an average speed of 162Mb/s. If you compare Free and SFR, the first offers an average connection 39% faster than the second. the difference between Orange and Free reaches 25.7%.
On the fiber optic side, the difference between Free and the competition is similar: a little more than 30% in favor of the troublemaker of the Net. This shows an average download speed of 556Mbps, against 418Mb/s for Orange which is last here. Indeed, the incumbent operator is outpaced by Bouygues Telecom, with an average speed of 440Mb/s, and SFR, with 437Mb/s. In upload, same observation: Free continues to be faster than the competition: 150 Mbps on average all technologies and 379 Mb/s fiber optic.
Only downside, Free always offers a higher response time than Orange (and sometimes even higher than that of Bouygues Telecom in optical fiber). On this point, Orange retains first place: perfect for network players. In a press release issued following the publication of the barometer, Free is pleased with its good results. ” Free offers its subscribers the best fixed internet performance “, can we read there. Too bad the French troublemaker can’t say the same about the 5G connection. Last August, nPerf indicated in another barometer that Free is the worst operator, both in terms of speed and latency.