Rural internet in France
The Internet is reaching out and touching each and every corner of modern day life and daily life. As a consequence, more and more people are asking about Internet connections in some of the more rural parts of the world and this particular thread centres upon France and the wish of the poster to move to France and her ability to receive a 3G Internet connection.
There are many issues to consider when moving to a foreign land, although the fact that this lady in question is already experienced in relocating overseas having lived in Spain for some time is probably a plus point. However, Internet connectivity is not the same in each and every country around the world and in different areas of France it can vary widely.
Different types of Internet connectivity in France
There are many different types of Internet service available in France, and any other country around the world, which include:-
Landline Internet connectivity
This is by far and away the most popular type of Internet connectivity at the moment whereby you are connected to your Internet service provider by your landline which can often improve speed and reliability compared to the likes of mobile internet services. The cost of such services, and the availability of such services, will differ from area to area and from country to country.
Mobile Internet connectivity
As we have mentioned on numerous occasions, mobile broadband and general mobile Internet connectivity is something which is sweeping across the world and is set to become more and more prominent in the years to come. However, while there have been great strides made in developing the technology it is by no means the finished article and there is still much work to be done on mobile broadband speeds and mobile broadband reliability.
Satellite Internet connectivity
For some of the more remote areas of France, and other countries around the world, satellite Internet connectivity is in some cases possibly the only option. It is however an area of the Internet which is relatively ignored and one which very few people are really aware of, let alone the cost of satellite Internet services. However, there is no doubt that if mobile broadband providers and landline broadband providers are unable to “crack” some of the more rural areas of France then satellite Internet services may well come to the fore in the future.
Internet service coverage in France
As you might expect, the more reliable and the higher-speed Internet services in France are located in the larger cities and towns. From a business point of view there is no reason to invest millions upon millions of euros into rural areas of France because ultimately the return on capital invested is likely to be significantly lower than that in more populated areas of the country.
While there are a number of Internet service providers in France, Orange, owned by France Telecom, is by far and away the leader particularly in the mobile broadband sector. The lady in question has commented about 3G internet access via the likes of Orange and while it is possible to have mobile access and a relatively high speed in some areas of the country, there is comment on the thread that some of the more remote services are relatively slow.
Whether this will change in the immediate future is open to debate because ultimately the likes of Orange will need to see a route to receive a significant return on investment before ploughing large amounts of money into the more rural areas of France.
Working online in France
France is no different to any other country around the world in that more and more people are looking to work online, which can make it easier to relocate from country to country. However, if you depend on the Internet for your income and employment you need to be certain that the area which you’re moving to offers a reliable and relatively fast speed Internet connection unless you could suffer financially.
You may have the best laptop in the market, you may have the best technology, you may have the fastest server but ultimately if your Internet connection is unreliable or relatively slow then this will impact upon your efficiency.
Taxation issues when working online in France
Even though effectively you may have no base when working online anywhere around the world, you will be expected to contribute to the French taxation system if you’re in fact working online in France. Obviously, there will be certain costs which you can offset against your income but it is essential that you take professional advice with regards to France, or any other country which you visit, because the taxation rules and regulations will differ from place to place.
More and more governments around the world are closing various loopholes which have in the past allowed people to earn income from a base in one country while effectively stating that their income was earned in a different country. We will also see a number of new regulations come to the fore in short, medium and longer term and it will be more and more essential for those looking to move overseas, and work online, to ensure they abide by local laws and local regulations.
The French Internet sector
France is a country which is still dominated by government-controlled utility companies and the Internet sector is also included in this. Upon investigating the French Internet market you will notice there is a lack of competition compared to the likes of the UK although as EU regulations and EU rules come into play we should see the French Internet market begin to open up.
Any increase in competition will obviously impact upon prices which are fairly high in comparison to the likes of the UK and a number of other European countries.
Conclusion
While the thread in question has to some extent deteriorated towards the end into something of a “slanging match”, the initial comment and initial replies should prove very helpful to those looking to move to France and with an interest in the Internet sector. It is very dangerous to assume that you are moving to a like-for-like Internet sector when moving from say the UK to France or any other country because there are massive divergences in the quality of service, reliability and Internet connection speeds. If you rely upon the Internet for your income and for your work then you need to be sure you’re moving to an area which can accommodate your needs, now!
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