How to get Satellite Internet in France

While 3G, 4G - and soon 5G - are fairly widespread in France, some rural and remote areas remain however out of reach of the French broadband network. Luckily though, you'll still be able to get access to the internet if you live in these zones, thanks to satellite technology. If you live in far out region, have a house in the French countryside or own a chalet in the mountains, this article is for you.
Satellite Internet: French Providers
There are a few providers of satellite broadband in France, offering the equipment and the internet service too. Here are the main ones
- A subsidiary of Orange, NordNet is known for its VEGA Satellite offer, priced at €36.90/month. You can call Selectra at +33 9 74 59 56 84, or ask for a free callback to get started with Nordnet.
- Europasat is one of the biggest European satellite providers. Its plans include 10 to 100GB of data, plus unlimited use during night time. You can call Selectra at +33 9 74 59 56 84,, or ask for a free callback to get started with Europasat.
- As for Numerisat, plans go from €24 to €80 per month, and speed can reach 30 Mbit/s.
- With Ozone, you'll pay upwards of €29.90 monthly and surf online at a speed of 20Mb/s. You can purchase allowances of 10 to 50GB, unlimited calls and acess channels in HD.
- Finally, SkyDSL has 3 offers ranging from €20 to €50 montly, and speed vaires from 12 to 24 Mbit/s.
Satellite vs ADSL: which should you choose?
The main reason French households opt for satellite is, simply put, because they don't have any other option. Indeed, as stated above, access to ADSL and fibre is not yet available in areas such as rural or mountainous zones. If this is your case, and you are thus in what is named a zone blanche, and here getting equipped with a satellite dish is probably the most reliable and quickest way to go.
You can still opt for satellite in non-rural zones, however you'll probably better off subscribing to ADSL or fibre whenever it is available to get the fastest and most efficient broadband deal within your reach.
Want to get started with an internet contract in France?Get in touch with Selectra's English-speaking helpline at +33 9 74 59 56 84, (Monday - Friday, 8 am - 9 pm, Saturday 8.30 am - 6.30 am) or get a free callback, to help you find the broadband solution that will suit both you needs and budget.
ADSL vs Satellite: Prices

Generally speaking, plans through satellite broadband are more exepensive than ADSL broadband - and this without including the dish and other equipment, which can cost upward of €400 when not included in the satellite plan (in comparison, renting ADSL equipment can cost as little as €4 monthly).
This said, it obviously depends on how much data you need, but you can still find satellite plans as cheap as €20 monthly. Plans as such however come with limited allowances, whereas data is unlimited with ADSL. If you require 100 GB or more with satellite, though, expect to pay up to €100/month.
Comparing speed in ADSL and Satellite
These days speed with satellite dishes is relatively comparable to ADSL, and can go up to 22Mb/s. Just be aware that storms and other weather phenomenons can impede a satellite connection.
Satellite vs ADSL: Data Volume
This is the disadvantage of satellite broadband offers: data allowances tend to be restricitve and capped, ranging from 2GB/month to 100GB/month, even though a few plans offer unlimited data. ADSL plans, however, are always unlimited.
This said, some satellite providers offer unlimited data allowances at night - check with your provider to determine the hours.
ADSL vs Satellite: which should I choose?
Satellite internet as its perks and drawback - fast connections, access to broadband in rural areas, reliability, but also are exepensive and offer restrictive data allowances.
If in a "zone blanche", satellite is a good solution, the choice isn't as straight-forward in a geographical area where ADSL is accessible for a low rate. It is then a question of choosing between the performance of the internet connection and the price, with a decision coming down to a tradeoff between speed and cost. Indeed, the satellite will indeed be particularly expensive, but it is a faster alternative to the slowness of an ADSL connection.