Free Caraïbe

What Free Caraïbe does

Free Caraïbe SAS is a regional mobile telecommunications operator serving the French overseas territories of Martinique, Guadeloupe, Guyane, Saint-Barthélemy, and Saint-Martin. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Iliad Group (parent of the Free brand), incorporated in Fort-de-France, Martinique with €2M share capital, and holds an ARCEP authorization to operate a public mobile communications network. It offers three no-commitment monthly plans — Forfait 2€ Caraïbe (€2/month, 2 hours of calls, 50 MB data), Forfait Free Caraïbe 150 Go (€9.99/month, 150 GB local data, 25 GB roaming from 40 destinations), and Forfait Free Caraïbe 300 Go (€15.99/month, 300 GB local data, 35 GB roaming from 75 destinations) — all with unlimited calls and SMS/MMS to the local zone, mainland France, Europe, the USA, Canada, and select international destinations. Prices are guaranteed not to increase after the first year.

The technical stack is a 4G/4G+ mobile network covering 97–99% of the population across the five territories, with 98.9% 3G coverage, supporting both physical SIM cards and eSIM (€10, activated via QR code). The company is not an MVNO — it operates licensed network infrastructure. Commercial operations are conducted via a direct-to-consumer, product-led model: customers can subscribe online at caraibe.free.fr, through self-service Free kiosks located in partner boutiques (3-minute activation), or via phone customer service (3244, 7 days a week), with full account self-management through the Espace Abonné web portal. Free number portability is supported from all major local carriers (Orange Caraïbe, SFR Caraïbe, Digicel, UTS, Dauphin Telecom).

The business model is purely B2C subscription recurring revenue with no enterprise contracts, no disclosed ARR, and no third-party equity — capital and strategy flow from the parent Iliad Group. Recent strategic actions in 2024 include the opening of a boutique in Cayenne, Guyane, an upgrade of the mid-tier plan from 120 GB to 150 GB, the addition of 17 new roaming destinations, and the rollout of eSIM. The company is in active penetration mode against incumbent operators Orange Caraïbe, SFR Caraïbe, Digicel, and UTS.

Name

Free Caraïbe

Legal name

Free Caraïbe SAS

Website

https://caraibe.free.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Free Caraïbe is a mobile telecommunications operator and Iliad Group subsidiary serving the French Caribbean (Martinique, Guadeloupe, Guyane, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin) with three no-commitment 4G/4G+ plans starting at €2/month, distributed via self-service website, kiosks, and phone support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort-de-France

HQ country

Martinique

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Mobile Subscription Plans: Monthly recurring subscription fees from three prepaid mobile plan tiers (2€, 9.99€, 15.99€/month) providing voice, SMS, MMS and data services. Revenue is predictable and recurring from subscriber base.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Free Caraïbe is a mobile telecommunications operator that provides no-contract mobile plans (voice, SMS, MMS, and 4G/4G+ data) to individual consumers in the French Caribbean territories of Martinique, Guadeloupe, Guyane, Saint-Barthélemy, and Saint-Martin. It offers three subscription tiers starting at 2€/month, distributed through self-service kiosks, its website, and customer service, with eSIM and physical SIM options.

Product overview

Free Caraïbe is a mobile telecommunications operator serving the French Caribbean (Martinique, Guadeloupe, Guyane, Saint-Barthélémy, and Saint-Martin) as part of the Iliad Group. The company offers three mobile plans with no commitment: the premium Forfait Free Caraïbe 300 Go (€15.99/month with 300 GB local + 35 GB roaming from 75 destinations), the mid-tier Forfait Free Caraïbe 150 Go (€9.99/month with 150 GB local + 25 GB roaming from 40 destinations), and the budget Forfait 2€ Caraïbe (€2/month with 2 hours calls and 50 MB data). The product portfolio includes both physical SIM cards and eSIM options, supported by a 4G/4G+ network covering 97-99% of the population, self-service kiosks for immediate subscription, and an online customer portal (Espace Abonné) for account management. All plans include unlimited SMS/MMS and VoLTE/VoWiFi calling capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Forfait Free Caraïbe 150 Go: Mobile plan offering 150 Go of 4G/4G+ data in local zone for €9.99/month without commitment.
• Forfait Free Caraïbe 300 Go
• Forfait 2€ Caraïbe

Products and services

• Forfait Free Caraïbe 300 Go Premium no-contract mobile plan offering 300 GB of 4G/4G+ data in the local French Caribbean zone, 35 GB of roaming data across 75 international destinations, and unlimited calls, SMS, and MMS to local numbers, mainland France, La Réunion, Mayotte, USA, Canada, and European landlines. Priced at 15.99€/month.
• Forfait Free Caraïbe 150 Go Mid-tier no-contract mobile plan offering 150 GB of 4G/4G+ data in the local French Caribbean zone, 25 GB of roaming data across 40 international destinations, and unlimited calls, SMS, and MMS to local numbers, mainland France, La Réunion, Mayotte, Europe, USA, Canada, Brazil, and Mexico. Priced at 9.99€/month.
• Forfait 2€ Caraïbe Entry-level no-contract mobile plan offering 2 hours of calls, unlimited SMS/MMS, and 50 MB of 4G/4G+ data in the local zone, with additional services including 50 MB in 3G/4G and call minutes while traveling in Europe. Priced at 2€/month.
• eSIM Embedded SIM (eSIM) providing a digital SIM card integrated directly into compatible mobile devices, activated by QR code scan or manual entry. Priced at 10€, available for new subscriptions and existing customers.
• Physical SIM Card Physical SIM card available for new subscriptions, obtainable immediately from Free self-service kiosks or delivered by mail. Priced at 10€.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 99% population covered in Martinique and Guadeloupe with 4G network
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• UTS (United Telecommunications Services): Telecom operator serving the Dutch Caribbean and parts of the French Caribbean. Comparable regional mobile peer operating across nearby islands with overlapping roaming customer base.
• Digicel: Caribbean-wide mobile operator with presence across multiple Caribbean islands including territories adjacent to Free Caraïbe's footprint. Comparable as a regional mobile service provider competing for roaming and cross-border customers.

Direct peers

• Orange Caraïbe: Incumbent mobile operator serving Martinique, Guadeloupe, Guyane, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy under the Orange brand. Most direct regional competitor of Free Caraïbe across voice, SMS and mobile data services.
• SFR Caraïbe: Mobile operator serving the French Caribbean via the SFR brand, offering mobile plans and postpaid services in Martinique and Guadeloupe. Direct competitor in the same target segment with overlapping distribution.
• Dauphin Telecom: Mobile and fixed-line operator based in Saint-Martin serving the French Caribbean. Competes with Free Caraïbe for subscribers in Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy.
• Outremer Telecom: Mobile operator historically serving French overseas territories including the Caribbean under the SFR Caraïbe commercial brand. Direct market peer to Free Caraïbe in Martinique and Guadeloupe.

Broad incumbents

• Free Mobile: Iliad Group's metropolitan France mobile operator and direct sister brand to Free Caraïbe. Same disruptive low-cost playbook, pricing philosophy and self-service distribution model — useful comparable for unit economics and growth trajectory.
• Bouygues Telecom: Tier-1 French mobile network operator with nationwide footprint. While not present in the French Caribbean, comparable as a price-disciplined challenger against Free Mobile in metropolitan France and as a benchmark for ARPU and 5G capex in the Free/Iliad ecosystem.
• Sosh: Low-cost digital sub-brand of Orange France targeting price-sensitive no-commitment subscribers. Comparable to Free Caraïbe's positioning as a no-contract, online-first consumer mobile offer inside a larger telecom group.

Emerging players

• Prixtel: French MVNO offering adjustable monthly plans based on consumption with no commitment. Comparable as a digital-first, no-contract mobile challenger using a flexible pricing model for value-conscious consumers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FreeCaraibe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Caraïbe