Free Mobile

What Free Mobile does

Free Mobile is a French mobile telecommunications operator and wholly-owned subsidiary of Iliad Group (Euronext Paris: ILD), founded in 2012 as a disruptive low-cost entrant into the French mobile market. The company operates four no-commitment consumer plans — Forfait Free Max (unlimited 5G/5G+, €29.99/month), Forfait Free 5G+ (350 GB, €19.99/month), Série Free (entry-tier at €12.99/month converting to Forfait Free 5G+), and Forfait 2€ (€2/month budget plan) — alongside value-added services including Free mVPN, eSIM Watch, Le Chat Pro (a Mistral AI-powered assistant), and Free Flex device leasing. Its network, the largest 5G deployment in France by site count with 22,499 sites covering 95%+ of the population across 17,295+ communes, runs on 700 MHz and 3.5 GHz spectrum acquired in 2020 for €602M, with 5G+ launched nationally in 2024. Distribution combines online self-serve (mobile.free.fr and mobile app), 260+ owned boutiques, and partner kiosks in Fnac and Maison de la Presse, serving more than 15 million subscribers primarily in the individual consumer, family bundling, student, and frequent-traveler segments.

The company makes money through recurring monthly subscription fees across four mobile tiers (with Freebox subscribers receiving discounts via the Free Family program), supplemented by device sales and lease-to-own financing through Free Flex, hardware margin from smartphones and smartwatches, value-added services such as Le Chat Pro (€17.99/month), McAfee security, Axa mobile insurance, and Recommerce trade-in. Pricing has been held flat since 2012, reinforcing a cost-leadership positioning that competes with Orange, SFR, and Bouygues Telecom. Free Mobile is currently exploring a 50:50 tower joint venture with Cellnex and Phoenix Tower International among interested parties, a structural move that would monetize its substantial site footprint. Recent regulatory pressure includes a €27 million CNIL fine in early 2026 for a 2022 cyberattack exposing approximately 24 million customer contracts, creating near-term compliance and remediation overhead.

Name

Free Mobile

Legal name

Free Mobile

Website

https://mobile.free.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Telecommunications

NAICS

Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (517112)

SIC

Radiotelephone Communications (4812)

akta.pro primary industry

Private LTE/5G Mobile Network Operators (Campus/Industrial) (HDAIAAAE)

Keywords

• Mobile telecommunications
• Wireless network operator
• Postpaid mobile plans
• 5G mobile service
• Home internet box

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Mobile Subscription Services: Monthly subscription fees from mobile plans (Forfait Free Max, Forfait Free 5G+, Série Free, Forfait 2€). Core revenue driver with no commitment model allowing flexible subscriber churn.
2. Value-Added Services: Optional services including Le Chat Pro AI assistant (17.99€/month), eSIM Watch option, McAfee Security, mobile insurance through Axa, and Booster data add-ons.
3. Device Sales and Financing: Sale and lease-with-option-to-buy (Free Flex) of smartphones and smartwatches. Revenue from device margin and financing arrangements with subscribers.
4. SIM/eSIM Cards: Physical SIM and eSIM card sales (10€ standard, free for Freebox subscribers on certain plans).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Free Mobile is a French mobile network operator that sells postpaid and prepaid mobile voice, SMS and data subscription plans over its own 4G and 5G infrastructure, with optional 5G+ upgrades, smartphone financing, international roaming add-ons, and adjacent home internet offers through the Freebox line. Its commercial proposition targets individual consumers with low-priced, no-commitment plans and multi-line family discounts.

Product overview

Free Mobile is a French mobile operator and ISP owned by the Iliad Group, offering a comprehensive telecommunications portfolio. The core mobile offerings consist of four distinct plans: Forfait Free Max (unlimited 5G/5G+ for heavy users at €29.99/month), Forfait Free 5G+ (350 GB for moderate users at €19.99/month), Série Free (160 GB introductory plan at €12.99/month transitioning to Forfait 5G+), and Forfait 2€ (budget option at €2/month). For home internet, Free offers the Freebox line including Freebox Ultra, Freebox Pop, Freebox Pop S, Freebox Révolution Light, and Box 5G. The ecosystem includes value-added services such as Free Flex (smartphone leasing), Free mVPN (integrated VPN), eSIM Watch (cellular smartwatch), Le Chat Pro (Mistral AI assistant), and Free TV (streaming). The company operates France's largest 5G network by site count and maintains 260+ retail boutiques nationwide. Notable partnerships include McAfee for security, Mistral AI for conversational AI, Recommerce for device trade-in, and Axa for mobile insurance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Freebox: Home internet and TV services including Freebox Ultra, Freebox Pop, Freebox Revolution Light
• Free Pro
• Free Family
• Free mVPN
• Free Flex
• Free TV
• Le Chat Pro

Products and services

• Forfait Free 5G+ mobile plan Postpaid mobile plan with unlimited calls/SMS in France, large 5G data allowance, roaming in included destinations and access to 5G+ (3.5 GHz) sites. Targets heavy data users who want the operator's top consumer plan.
• Forfait Free 5G mobile plan Postpaid plan with 5G access, generous data allowance and no commitment, positioned between the entry and 5G+ tiers for mainstream consumers.
• Forfait 2€ mobile plan Low-priced postpaid plan with limited data on the Free Mobile network, aimed at price-sensitive consumers and as a SIM for secondary devices.
• Forfait Free à €19.99 mobile plan Unlimited calls/SMS/MMS and 5G data on a no-commitment subscription priced at €19.99, Free Mobile's headline consumer plan since 2012.
• Free Mobile Prépayée prepaid SIM Pay-as-you-go prepaid SIM using Free Mobile's 4G/5G network, allowing top-ups of voice/SMS/data and targeted at occasional users, students and budget subscribers.
• Free mVPN Mobile VPN application provided to Free Mobile subscribers at no extra cost, encrypting traffic on cellular and Wi-Fi to protect users on open networks.
• Smartphone financing and device sales Retail of unlocked smartphones, including installment-financed purchases bundled or unbundled from mobile plans, sold to Free Mobile subscribers and walk-in customers.
• Free Mobile Roaming add-on Add-on that lets subscribers use their plan's voice, SMS and data allowances while travelling in included overseas destinations, sold separately or included in higher tiers.
• Free Pro mobile and fiber for businesses Converged mobile, fiber internet and VoIP offers for very small businesses and the self-employed, with self-service management console and Mistral AI-powered assistant.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% of Free Mobile subscribers recommend the service (IFOP study, April 2026)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mistral AIcoreTechnology or IntegrationFree Mobile partnered with Mistral AI to power Le Chat Pro virtual assistant available to Free Mobile subscribers. Mistral AI is described as the European leader in artificial intelligence. The service provides AI-powered conversational assistance with access to Mistral AI's frontier models.
• RecommercecoreTechnology or IntegrationRecommerce provides mobile trade-in and recycling services for Free Mobile customers. Customers can sell their old phones for up to 600€ through the service. Recommerce handles device evaluation, data erasure, refurbishment, and recycling.
• CNILminorOthersFrance's data protection authority (CNIL) levied a 27 million euro fine against Free Mobile in early 2026 for failing to protect subscriber data following a cyberattack that exposed approximately 24 million customer contracts.
• Canal+minorOthersCanal+ obtained court rulings in April 2026 requiring Free and other ISPs to block illegal IPTV streaming of Formula 1 races. Free was named as a defendant in these blocking orders.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• EE (BT Group): EE is the largest UK mobile network operator, offering 5G plans, mobile bundles, and content/TV services. Comparable on technology stack (5G leadership), plan architecture, and converged fixed-mobile strategy with BT broadband.
• Vodafone: Vodafone operates mobile networks across Europe and offers consumer mobile plans with 5G, roaming, and bundled services — overlapping with Free Mobile's mobility offering but at a much larger pan-European scale. Comparable on product architecture and converged service strategy.
• Deutsche Telekom (T-Mobile): Deutsche Telekom, through its T-Mobile subsidiaries, operates large-scale 5G networks and consumer mobile plans. Comparable as a broader European incumbent with the same consumer mobile subscription model and integrated fixed-mobile (MagentaTV equivalents).

Emerging players

• Three UK (Hutchison / CK Hutchison): Three UK is a challenger mobile network operator with aggressive pricing, 5G rollout, and unlimited data plans — directly comparable to Free Mobile's low-price, no-commitment strategy in a competing European market.
• Salt Mobile (Switzerland): Salt Mobile is a Swiss challenger MNO offering low-priced, no-commitment mobile plans with 5G coverage — directly comparable to Free Mobile's low-cost disruption strategy, though operating in a different European geography.

Regional players

• Swisscom: Swisscom is the incumbent Swiss telecommunications operator with mobile plans, 5G, and bundled home services. Comparable on plan structure, premium positioning, and converged service offering though serving a separate geography.
• KPN (Netherlands): KPN is the incumbent mobile and fixed operator in the Netherlands with comparable plan tiers, 5G rollout, and converged mobile-home bundles. Regional peer with similar private-network-style challenge to disruptors.

Direct peers

• Orange (France): Orange is the incumbent market leader in French mobile telecommunications, offering consumer plans, 5G, fiber, and cross-bundled services. Direct competitor across all Free Mobile plan tiers and the comparison point against which Free positioned its pricing disruption.
• Bouygues Telecom: Bouygues Telecom is the third-largest French mobile operator and competes head-to-head with Free Mobile on mobile plans, 5G rollout, and fixed-mobile bundles (Bbox + mobile). Comparable on spectrum holdings, plan tiers, and retail footprint.
• SFR (Altice France): Altice France's SFR is one of the four major MNOs operating in France alongside Free Mobile, offering mobile plans, 5G coverage, and bundled fixed-mobile services to French consumers. Directly comparable on plan structure, distribution channels, and customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FreeMobile
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzoLVwQrGOBlfzrma3FiJbg
• Facebookfacebook.com/Free-Mobile-100064197575234
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/freefr
• Instagraminstagram.com/free.fr/?hl=fr
• TikToktiktok.com/@free.france

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Free Mobile