In France in 2026, a good fibre internet speed typically sits between 450 and over 600 Mbps download, with fibre now representing around 63% of fixed subscriptions and over 94% coverage nationwide according to ARCEP. Use the free internet speed test below to check your real speed in a few seconds and see if your current plan is keeping up with your streaming, gaming and remote work needs. If your result is far below what your broadband plan promises, or you're still on ADSL in a fibre‑covered area, it may be time to upgrade your broadband plan or switch providers in France.
How to test your Internet speed properly
Testing your internet speed is quick and easy, but doing it properly is what gives you useful, reliable results. Follow these simple steps before you hit Start:
Use one device only and pause all downloads, streams, cloud backups and updates
Restart your modem/router if it has been on for weeks without a break
Sit close to your WiFi router or, even better, plug your device in with an Ethernet cable
Close unnecessary apps and tabs, and make sure your browser is up to date
Run the internet speed test 2–3 times and note the average download, upload and ping
💬 Expert Tip
For better results, compare a WiFi speed test with a wired broadband speed test. If wired is much faster, your ISP is fine, your WiFi setup is the issue.
Need help with internet in France? Our English speaking advisors help you understand your options and choose the right plan. Call us for clear, practical advice (free of charge).
Need help with internet in France? Our English speaking advisors help you understand your options and choose the right plan. Call us for clear, practical advice (free of charge).
Your results screen can look a bit technical, but each number simply tells you how smooth your online life will be. Download speed drives streaming and browsing, upload speed powers video calls and file sharing, while ping and jitter decide how "laggy" everything feels in real time.
Fibre broadband should deliver much higher and more stable speeds than ADSL, especially if several people are online at the same time. Use the reference values below to see whether your current connection is doing a good job or holding you back.
Metric
What is it?
Fibre reference values
ADSL reference values
Download speed (Mbps)
How fast you receive data (streaming, browsing, downloads)
2-8 Gbps
8-20 Mbps
Upload speed (Mbps)
How fast you send data (video calls, file uploads, cloud backups)
1-8 Gbps
0.5-1 Mbps
Ping / Latency (ms)
How long it takes data to travel back and forth, crucial for gaming and video calls
<20–30 ms
40-80 ms
Jitter (ms)
How much your ping varies over time; high jitter causes choppy sound and video
<20-30 ms
30-40 ms
Updated in january of 2026
What is a good Internet speed in France in 2026?
In France in 2026, a good fibre internet speed usually means somewhere between 450 and over 600 Mbps download, which is now the reality for many households thanks to massive FTTH rollout. That's why this section focuses on fibre, the most widely used and future‑proof fixed technology in the country.
To see if your speed is good for your lifestyle, use these simple benchmarks:
👤 Single person or couple, student, streaming HD, browsing, a few video calls: anything from 1 Gbps upwards is already very comfortable.
🧑🧑🧒🧒 Family with several screens, 4K streaming (Netflix, Prime Video, Disney...), cloud gaming, heavy downloads: aim closer to the 2-5 Mbps range or more.
🚀 Power users (home office with big file transfers, multiple gamers, many connected devices): a 8 Gbps fibre plan gives you extra headroom and stability.
If your speed test shows much less than what your fibre plan advertises, or you are stuck on ADSL below 30 Mbps, it's a clear signal it's time to upgrade your offer or switch Internet provider in France.
Your shortcut to French telecom plans Skip the French forms and hold music: our advisors can handle the setup for you in a few minutes. Call our English-speaking team today!
👌 Your shortcut to French Internet & mobile plans. Skip the French forms and hold music: our advisors can handle the setup for you in a few minutes. Call our English-speaking team today!
Why your broadband speed test is slower than expected
A broadband speed test that looks slow doesn't always mean your provider is scamming you. In most cases, something in your home setup or on the network is quietly eating away at your bandwidth.
The most common culprits are:
Outdated or overloaded equipment: old routers, weak WiFi, bad Ethernet cables or boxes that haven't been restarted for weeks.
Too many devices at the same time: streaming, gaming, video calls and smart home devices all competing on the same connection.
WiFi issues: distance from the box, thick walls, interference from neighbours' networks or staying stuck on a crowded 2.4 GHz band.
Network congestion or throttling: speeds dropping at peak hours because everyone is online, or temporary slowdowns applied to heavy users.
Access technology and line quality: ADSL lines far from the exchange, or mixed fibre/copper (FTTC) links, will never match full FTTH performance.
How to Improve a slow Internet connection
Quick fixes you can try now to boost your Internet speed
Before you change provider, try a few quick wins that often boost a slow connection in minutes.
Restart your modem/router by unplugging it for 30 seconds, then plugging it back in to clear glitches and refresh the signal.
Move your router to a central, elevated, open spot (not in a cupboard, not on the floor) and away from microwaves or thick walls.
Disconnect devices you don't use (old phones, smart TVs, consoles) so they stop silently consuming bandwidth in the background.
Whenever possible, use an Ethernet cable for your main PC, TV or console to get a faster and more stable connection than WiFi.
On WiFi, switch to the 5 GHz band for nearby devices to gain speed and reduce interference, and keep 2.4 GHz for rooms further away.
How you should set up your internet box
When to upgrade your broadband plan or switch providers in France
If your internet still crawls after basic WiFi fixes, it's probably not you: it's your plan or provider. In fibre‑covered France, where over 90% of premises can now get FTTH, staying on an old or underpowered offer makes less and less sense.
Your speed test regularly shows much lower speeds than those advertised in your contract, even on a wired connection and outside peak hours.
Streaming, video calls or cloud tools freeze as soon as several people are online, a clear sign your bandwidth no longer matches your household's usage.
You are still on ADSL or VDSL in an area where fibre is available on your line, which now covers the vast majority of homes in France.
Your provider cannot offer higher speeds, better WiFi equipment or a more recent Internet box without extra fees that are out of line with the market.
In all these cases, checking current fibre deals and potentially switching providers in France is often the fastest way to actually feel a before/after difference.
💡 Good to know
Most operators will refund up to €100 or even €150 of the termination fees when you switch providers!
🙌 Ditch your old plan Our English-speaking advisors guide you through cancelling or changing your plan, quickly and easily. Call us now for free help!
Which provider offers the fastest Internet speeds?
According to the nPerf 2025 barometer of fixed connections in France (2025 data published on 12 January 2026), Bouygues Telecom confirms its position as market leader, with the best overall score and a particularly consistent user experience, supported by very high speeds, low latency, and excellent performance in both browsing and streaming.
Orange secures a strong second place, driven by high average speeds and very reliable overall service quality across all fixed uses. Free remains a very aggressive competitor, especially on downstream and upstream speeds, but its overall score is still slightly behind Bouygues Telecom and Orange, which indicates a user experience that is somewhat less polished according to nPerf.
SFR, finally, comes last with more modest performance, particularly in terms of speeds and latency, even though the operator also benefits from the overall improvement trend of fixed connections in 2025.
Download: up to 8 Gbit/s
Upload: up to 8 Gbit/s
Compatible with WiFi 7
Répéteur WiFi 7 inclus
Cafeyn inclus
49,99€/month for 12 months then 59,99€/month
Calls to landlines + mobiles
Netflix et Prime inclus
Disney+ et Universal+ inclus
HBO Max inclus 3 mois
Free Ciné inclus
320h d'enregistrement
Download: up to 8 Gbit/s
Upload: up to 8 Gbit/s
Compatible with WiFi 7
Répéteur WiFi 7 inclus
39,99€/month for 12 months then 49,99€/month
Calls to landlines + mobiles
Prime inclus 3 mois
HBO Max inclus 3 mois
Free Ciné inclus
320h d'enregistrement
