The deployment of 5G is continuing its course, mainly around large cities. Tools, such as the OpenBarres application, are very practical to know if 5G antennas are in the area, thanks to the geolocation of the smartphone.
Should we switch to 5G in 2021? To answer this question, you must first verify that three prerequisites are met: do I have a compatible smartphone? Have I taken out a suitable package? And above all, am I in an area that is covered by my operator’s 5G? If the answer is yes every time, then nothing really stands in the way of migrating to mobile ultra-broadband – except perhaps the lack of specific usage for 5G.
It is relatively easy to check the compatibility of your smartphone as well as your package, for example by checking your situation on your customer account – operators also invite those who are not yet in 5G to think about it. Regarding the coverage, the operators also provide coverage maps allowing to see how far the signals carry, according to the frequencies used (700 MHz, 2.1 GHz and especially 3.5 GHz, which is the most important band. ).
Beyond the cards provided by Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Free Mobile, other tools can be used. For example, the Cartoradio site, which is managed by the National Frequency Agency (ANFR), allows you to find out where the relay antennas are around your home, by entering an address, a postal code or a city. The telecoms regulator, with My Mobile Network, also makes it possible to monitor the deployment of 5G and displays a map taking into account information from operators.
How do I know if I have 5G near my home?
To this list, we must now also include the OpenBarres application, which is developed by the ANFR. This application has been available for a long time on smartphones (Android) and allows, among other things, to know the specific absorption rate (SAR), an index relating to smartphones whose role is to inform the amount of energy from waves that is absorbed by the body. It turns out that the OpenBarres app just received a 5G update on July 5th.
” With Open Barres, you can now follow the deployment of 5G everywhere in mainland France with data updated every week. You have information on the number of 5G sites by frequency band and by operator and on their location through a display on a background map “, We read in the description of the update.
The application provides access to a space dedicated to the deployment of 5G. Depending on your geolocation – which you must grant to the application – you see the active or inactive installations as part of the 5G deployment, the type of frequencies used, the approximate coverage of the surroundings, but also the sites operated by others operators – and check whether the situation is not more favorable elsewhere.
OpenBarres offers a very convenient view for estimating the level of coverage near you – more exactly where your smartphone is located. The advantage of this mobile view is that you can also display the situation at your workplace or on the road – you can also move around on the map manually, or by entering the name of a municipality.
The deployment of 5G, which began at the end of 2020, is primarily focused around large cities – dozens of municipalities are now fully or partially covered. By 2022, each operator must have deployed at least 3,000 5G sites. Two years later, more than 8,000 will have to be installed. Full coverage of the country is expected around 2030.
Sure: you are paying too much for your 4G plan
