With the rise of mobile networks, 5G boxes are now positioned as solid alternatives to optical fiber, particularly in areas where fiber installation is slow to be deployed. The promise? A fast internet connection, and above all easy to install with less congestion. In this guide, we review the best internet offers on the market to help you make the right choice based on your usage and location.
5G bands are no longer limited to smartphones. With theoretical download speeds of up to 1 Gb/s, 5G boxes now rival some fiber offers and far surpass traditional ADSL boxes.
For those who are not yet eligible for fiber or users who are often on the move and occasionally need internet access, this type of Box is an ideal solution. And for good reason, these offers are generally without commitment and you just have to plug the device in at home to immediately benefit from a high-speed internet connection on your PC or smartphone. Conversely, fiber offers often require making an appointment with a technician, longer installation times, or even connection work to finally have internet access.
However, you have to choose your box carefully, starting with the choice of 4G or 5G network. It is also necessary to know with which operator your connection will be the most optimal. You can learn more about this in the dedicated FAQ of this article to make the right choice.
Our comparison of the best 5G offers available in France
In the French market, all telecom operators now offer 5G offers, with the exception of Free, which is currently sticking to 4G+ packages. However, this could quickly change given the operator’s recent progress in deploying 5G SA.
SFR Box 5G
SFR’s 5G box is the most recent to arrive on the market. With a theoretical download speed of 1.1 Gb/s and 100 Mb/s upload, the 5G router is positioned slightly above other competing offers. It has three RJ45 Ethernet ports to connect all your devices via wire. On the wireless connection side, it offers Wi-Fi 6, which is a little disappointing. We would have preferred Wi-Fi 6E, or even Wi-Fi 7, even if these technologies would have been limited by the performance of this box.
At SFR, the 5G box includes a triple play offer, thus offering unlimited calls to landlines and mobiles in France, as well as a bouquet of 130 TV channels, accessible via the SFR TV application on smartphone, tablet or computer. In short, enough to do without a fiber optic offer. For young people under 26, an advantageous rate is even offered at €29.99 per month. Without this small boost on the price, the SFR offer remains the cheapest on the market today.
| Prix | €39.99/month (sans engagement) |
| Youth offer (-26 years) | 29.99€/month (sans engagement) |
| Max flow rate | 1,1Gb/s 100 Mb/s |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Ethernet ports name | 3 |
| TV | |
| Data envelope | Unlimited |
| Costs | €19 activation and €19 termination |
Bouygues Telecom and its 5G internet offer
Bouygues Telecom was the first operator to launch a 5G Box offer. With a theoretical download speed of up to 1.1 Gb/s and upload speed of 58 Mb/s, it is slightly below SFR on the upload speed. You won’t feel the difference much if you are not an intensive user of services requiring a large upload, such as regularly transferring large files online.
The Bouygues Telecom 5G Box still allows you to far surpass ADSL and enjoy a connection fast enough for 4K streaming or heavy downloads. Interestingly, it offers five RJ45 Ethernet ports, compared to only three for the SFR box. This allows you to connect more devices via wired. On the wireless side, it is equipped with the Wi-Fi 6 standard which operates on the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. This allows the flow rate to be distributed evenly across the devices depending on their proximity to the 5G box.
Unlike SFR, TV is not directly included in the Bouygues Telecom offer. For an additional 4 euros per month, the B.TV option gives you access to 180 channels and SVOD applications such as Netflix for example.
| Prix | 40.99€ /month (sans engagement) |
| Youth offer (-26 years) | |
| Max flow rate | 1,1Gb/s 58 Mb/s |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Ethernet ports name | 5 |
| TV | (additional cost of €4 per month) |
| Data envelope | Unlimited |
| Costs | €19 activation and €19 termination |
Orange: the 5G Home box
With its flybox modem, the Orange 5G Box is capable of delivering a theoretical speed of up to 1 Gb/s in download and 100 Mb/s in upload — performances generally similar to those of its competitors. Where Orange stands out is in the efficiency of its network. On the connection side, the Orange 5G Box uses a Wi-Fi 6 signal, guaranteeing a good distribution of the speed between several devices connected simultaneously.
Television is not included by default with Orange, but it is possible to add an optional TV key for an additional €5 per month, giving access to 70 channels via the Orange TV application.
At the time of writing, we learned that a new 5G+ offer should arrive on October 10th at Orange, in response to the deployment of Free’s 5G SA. For the moment, we do not know if it will replace the 5G Home offer, but what is certain is that it should guarantee higher and more stable speeds – in particular on upload, the weak point of these offers. If you choose to switch to a 5G Box for your home, better to wait until October 10th.
| Prix | 40.99€ /month (sans engagement) |
| Youth offer (-26 years) | 29.99€/month (sans engagement) |
| Max flow rate | 1,1Gb/s 100 Mb/s |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Ethernet ports name | 1 |
| TV | (additional cost of €5 per month) |
| Data envelope | Unlimited |
| Costs | 29 € d’activation |
Free: still no 5G router, but for how long?
Free is currently the only operator not to offer a 5G Box. The company is still content with an offer on the 4G+ network despite its efforts to deploy 5G antennas and its recent advances in the field concerning 5G SA. With so many elements, there is no doubt that the operator is preparing something to compete with Orange, SFR and Bouygues. At what price and with what speed? Only time will tell.
For now, Free still offers its 4G+ box with its Huawei B715-23c router. The speed goes up to 320 Mbit/s maximum. It is still better than ADSL, but it can be less stable than ADSL. Be aware that the Data envelope is also limited, with only 250 GB, which can quickly become restrictive if you watch videos, films and download regularly.
| Prix | 29.99€ /month (sans engagement) |
| Youth offer (-26 years) | |
| Max flow rate | 320 Mb/s 50 Mb/s |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 5 |
| Ethernet ports name | 4 |
| TV | |
| Data envelope | 300 Go |
| Costs | 19 € d’activation |
Which box to choose? What you need to know before taking out a subscription
What is a 5G box and how does it work?
A 5G box is a modern alternative to fixed connections such as ADSL or optical fiber. Like traditional boxes, it is a router, so you can connect your devices to it via Wi-Fi or wired via the RJ45 Ethernet ports. These boxes work even more simply, because they do not require any preparation in advance for installation, other than paying a commissioning fee. They come with an integrated SIM card. So, you just have to plug it in and turn it on to have a connection on these devices.
Can a 5G box replace fiber?
5G, deployed in France since 2020, offers speeds significantly higher than ADSL and often comparable to those of fiber. With download speeds of up to 1 Gbps, it represents a credible option compared to fiber. However, some fiber offers remain much more efficient, with speeds that can approach 10 Gbps. But when you are not eligible because of your location, a 4G or 5G Box is the only alternative to have viable internet access.
Should you get a 4G or 5G modem?
5G is, on paper, more interesting thanks to the high speeds it offers, provided you live in the right place. Indeed, to exploit the capacities of 5G, you generally have to live in a large city or on the outskirts so as not to stray too far from the nearby 5G-compatible antennas. In rural areas, it is still unlikely to benefit from broad 5G coverage.
How do you know which operator to choose?
According to the operators, each one claims to be the best, whether in network coverage, quality or other aspects. The reality is that your experience with a network will be determined more by your location. Whether it’s Bouygues, Orange, Free or SFR, their performance varies depending on the area. This is the main criterion to take into account.
To know the 3G/4G/5G coverage and network quality of each depending on where you live, you can refer to ARCEP interactive map.
5G and 5G SA: what are the differences?
Just like 4G before it, 5G evolves over time. Its first iteration was 5G NSA (Non-Standalone). Although it had the name, this first 5G, currently the most widespread, was not really a 5G… (sorry to tell you). Indeed, this first standard relied on the existing 4G LTE infrastructure for ease of management. It therefore did not exploit the full potential of 5G.
Recently, as previously mentioned, Free and Orange have been deploying “real” 5G, called 5G SA (Standalone). This 5G SA no longer needs 4G infrastructure to function, because it is entirely based on a 5G network core. It should become more widespread in 2025. Broadly speaking, 5G SA offers should provide higher throughput, less latency and more connection stability.
Do 4G or 5G boxes offer unlimited data?
Most 5G boxes, given the speeds they are capable of, must offer packages with unlimited internet data in GB. Unlimited data is now a standard for all operators for 5G.
On the other hand, 4G offers (such as the Free 4g+ box) are often subject to data limits. Once this GB ceiling is exceeded, the speed is significantly reduced, causing slowdowns when browsing online. Some operators, such as Orange, apply this restriction, but it is possible to add additional data for free via the customer area.
Can I take my 5G box on vacation?
No, 5G boxes do not work like a mobile plan strictly speaking. Of course, these offers allow you to use the same frequencies as smartphones, but not throughout France. We are talking about fixed 5G, limited to the address of the home indicated when subscribing. It is then impossible to take them too far. The range of these boxes is generally limited to your home and its surroundings.
Source: www.numerama.com
