Telecom

Under the Business Microscope: Orange vs SFR

  • Reading time: 3 min

There is no clear winner in the french telecom sector. Yet one operator may be ahead in the race. It is not over yet. Telecom wars are more of a marathon, and the french telecom scene is no different. While Orange is a legacy name with significant backing and funds, SFR is still doing well. Both telcos offer excellent services, and even if we can see a slight tip of the scale, we should still write SFR off. 

Orange Is Leading the 5G Charts

With 123,604 points, Orange had the highest nPerf result for 5G, beating SFR (121,565) and falling behind Bouygues Telecom (115,532) and Free (105,050). The venerable supervisor excels on almost every level. The highest average download speed is 346.98 Mbit/s, significantly faster than SFR (275.17 Mbit/s).

SFR (29.52 Mbits/s) has the 2nd-best average upload bandwidth at 29.20 Mbits/s; the best test success rate: is 96.97%, clear of Bouygues Telecom (95.19%), Free (96.14%), and SFR (96.03%); better streaming of YouTube videos and improved web surfing;

Only 3e has the third-best reaction time (latency), 33.21 ms, trailing Bouygues Telecom (28.22 ms) and SFR (28.68 ms) but far outperforming Free (41.72 ms).

SFR has yet to achieve the lowest latency on 5G, and overall, Orange, the best operator on each iteration of the cellular network, barely outperforms its two main rivals. Even though SFR, Free, and Bouygues Telecom have had some success, Orange has remained steadfast and has continued to advance. This fierce competition allows for diverse options for the consumer to choose from. Better 5G implementation means faster internet, more quality-of-life services, and better network performance. 

Orange Still Has the General Edge

With an average download speed of 97.85 Mbits/s, Orange has the fastest rates among all cellular networks, outpacing Free (89.35 Mbits/s), SFR (76.58 Mbits/s), and Bouygues Telecom (61.81 Mbits/s). Concerning the average upload speed, there is an equally significant difference (13.19 Mbits/s for Orange, 11.72 Mbits/s for Bouygues Telecom, 11.20 Mbits/s for SFR, and 10.31 Mbits/s for Free). Fast download speeds are essential for individual customers and bring in companies looking to prepare their staff with the best tools.

In France, the average download speed only improved by 5.5 Mbits/s (or roughly 12%) in the first half of the year for 4G, which still makes up 79% of tests. Both in terms of uplink speed (11.75 Mbits/s) and downstream speed (63.94 Mbits/s), Orange is still far in front. In terms of download speed, the incumbent operator is closing the distance with Free (52.89 Mbits/s), while SFR (48.08 Mbits/s) and Bouygues Telecom (41.22 Mbits/s) are improving more noticeably this semester than they did last.

Today, the nation’s typical 4G upload speed is around 10 Mbits/s. In front of Bouygues Telecom (9.97 Mbits/s), SFR (9.16 Mbits/s), and Free (8.11 Mbits/s), Orange has the highest speed (11.75 Mbits/s). Finally, when it comes to delaying, Orange once more takes the lead (34.66 ms), followed by SFR (35.71 ms), Bouygues Telecom (35.79 ms), and Free (44.98 ms), who all lag behind.

Business Packages

Orange Business is the division of the Company devoted to business. Its goal is to assist customers in hastening their digital transition from networks to the cloud and service platforms to maximize their capacity for innovation and foster sustainable and accountable economic development.

Orange Business announced its 2030 goals on February 16, 2023, as part of the Group’s new strategic plan. By leveraging its experience in security, connectivity, and cloud solutions within five years, Orange Business hopes to become the European leader in integrating and managing networks and digital services.

Orange Business ensures a sustainable strategy for clients and staff while assisting partners along their entire value chain, from service design to delivery. While SFR has yet to announce a new overhaul to the business-oriented packages, they still have enough time to shake the market with healthy competition that will benefit businesses and customers alike.

Concluding Thoughts

The future still holds so much for french telecom. Great opportunities for all telcos alike. While Orange strives forward, it must keep a good connection with its customers. The same can be said for SFR. They might have an easier way to achieve it since they now have this underdog label. It gives them a closer connection with the customers, while Orange targets businesses. Both telcos are doing a respectable job at keeping the french people connected. While Orange’s stock price is steady at 10.85 euros, SFR’s stock price remains humble at almost 1.5 euros. The price gap is merely there since Orange holds a more prominent name. Businesses can choose to go with the legacy name and the tailored business packages or try to save some costs and give SFR a chance. In both cases, businesses get great deals and optimize their workflow and connectivity.

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