Do not take your ISP for granted!
In this era of new technology the delivery of a reliable and value for money Internet and phone service is becoming ever more essential, especially to those who travel and move overseas. There is a thread on the expat forum entitled “Phone and Internet” which highlights the potential difficulties you may have if you move to France and look for reliable Internet and phone services.
Background to the thread
The individual who began the thread has obviously had a very difficult time after moving to France and looking to change phone and Internet providers. Aside from the fact it would appear that Internet technology in France is possibly a little behind countries such as the UK, there appear to be significant problems with regards to customer services and the transfer of Internet and phone accounts.
While in many cases the Internet is particularly useful for social activities, and possibly business activities, this particular example centres upon a British expat who has moved to France but whose father is in serious ill health in an English hospital. The person involved needs to be in direct contact with the hospital as various medical procedures need to be carried out and permission needs to be granted from a family member.
It would appear that the Internet connection of this particular individual was cancelled in error by their French Internet provider and despite admitting fault, the company was unable to re-connect the individual before the next “billing period”, i.e. one month.
There are also other issues to address which include:-
Customer services in France
While France has a very healthy union environment, especially in the agricultural industry, it would appear that there is some concern that many of the large operations in France are not offering the level of customer service you would expect. There is a comparison between smaller companies, where potentially employment positions may be more susceptible to change, against the larger French organisations where many employers are maybe not as a tentative to customers as they could be as they are seen to have stronger employment positions.
There is also a potential problem with languages, although can English speaking people in France really expect an English-speaking customer service? Is it really fair to expect French companies to accommodate a vast array of foreign languages?
Internet reliability
A number of posters on this particular thread have expressed their displeasure at the reliability of various Internet services in the country. However, thankfully there do appear to be some reliable services offering a high degree of customer satisfaction. However, even the ones which have attracted significant praise on the thread have in many cases disappointed customers with the transfer process especially troublesome.
The fact that many Internet customers are more than willing to overlook potential issues when transferring from different Internet service providers highlights the significant variation in service standards. However, the fact that a number of Internet customers who have transferred to new providers have still been charged by their old providers for some months does not give a very positive impression of the French Internet industry.
Internet availability
As you might expect, much of the comments regarding Internet service providers seem to revolve around Paris and its various suburbs. However, at least one poster has highlighted the fact that many areas of rural France do not have access to any mobile phone services never mind Internet connectivity. This is an issue which many travellers need to appreciate and understand because moving overseas and relying on your Internet connection may well be a no-go for some time.
However, as the European Union moves towards a more Internet-based economy we are sure to see significant improvements in France, and other EU countries, although how long these take and how expensive they may be for the consumer remains to be seen. When you consider landline broadband is not available in many areas of France, what chance do they have of introducing mobile broadband in the short to medium term?
Working from home
It is a common myth that those who work on the Internet could literally pack their bags and move anywhere in the world tomorrow and still have quality access to the Internet superhighway. While many larger companies will have access to reliable and high-speed Internet connectivity, often at a high price, this is proving more and more difficult for members of the general public. So if you work on the Internet from home at the moment you need to ensure the area of France you’re moving to has reliable and high-speed Internet connectivity, otherwise your business and income could suffer.
If you have a good Internet service in your homeland country, do not assume that every country you move to and travel to will offer a similar level of service and reliability.
Internet packages
It is interesting to see that even though in general the French Internet sector appears to be somewhat mixed in performance and reliability, there are still a significant number of Internet and telephone-based packages available. So whether you’re looking for “Magic Numbers” for your cheap calls, 50% off call costs, pay by MB download or a comprehensive monthly Internet plan there would appear to be something for everybody. However costs and speed will vary and you need to carry out Internet speed tests in the areas you are looking to move to.
Conclusion
Even though the Internet and phone technology is vital to the ongoing growth in the worldwide economy it would appear that countries such as France may have fallen behind in the Internet race, compared to the likes of the UK and other leading European countries. The general comments on the thread seem to indicate a lack of real competition in the sector which has allowed some of the larger Internet providers in France to let standards drop which has impacted upon the service delivered to end users.
A common myth that the Internet is available all around the world, reliable and at high speed is something which has been shattered by this particular thread. Hopefully, as new competition is introduced into the French Internet and telephone market we will see a general upgrade of services across the board and more value for money packages available for end users.
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