Information has generated strong reactions on social networks as with operators. It would be a question of a progressive pricing of telephone packages to limit data. But it is not a future law, just a misinterpreted idea.
The case has agitated operators and the public for a few days. It would be a question of limiting the volume of data available in telephone packages, or, more precisely, of establishing progressive pricing. A small revolution in the world telephony in France, where the packages are more and more generous in data. Jump that everything started from a poorly understood remark of Ademe, the agency of the ecological transition: and there is no question of a law on this subject. Explanations.
Data of mobile packages: gigas in Gogo
The battle is raging between operators! Since the start of the 2024 school year, young and older are a real price war with generous packages offered at rates never seen. We are even witnessing spectacular drops and, in the end, we always have more for cheaper. It’s very simple, we can afford an unlimited package with 200 and even 300 GB of data for less than 15 euros per month at Réglo Mobile, You Price, NRJ Mobile, Cdiscount Mobile or Auchan Telecom, among others. Among large operators, the data so are soaring. At Bouygues Telecom, it is possible to take advantage of 300 GB for € 18.99 per month without commitment with B & YOU package, while Free and Red by SFR offer 5G mobile plans of 350 GB (!) Per month in mainland France for 19 , € 99 per month.
But isn’t it too much? In reality, this overbidding of the gigabytes is above all a marketing argument. Whether 300 or 350 GB, all these data are useless for the majority of users, who will not use it as much. ARCEP has calculated that French consume an average of 14 GB of data per month. In short, paying more for more gigas is throwing money from the windows. However, operators continue to feed this Data escalation, since they are forced to line up on each other. However, for a few days, the information runs that ADEME, the Environment and Energy Management Agency, would plan to limit data on mobile plans, through progressive pricing. A rumor that has bristling Xavier Niel’s hairs, the founder of Free and Laurentino Lavezzi, Orange public affairs director. So what about in reality?
Data of mobile packages: a French exception
The model of France in terms of mobile plans is UFO. In many countries, the pricing of mobile data is based on invoicing for use, and 100 GB packages are almost non -existent. In Western Europe in 2023, the average price of a mobile Internet Go was $ 2.08while he was just $ 0.20 in France – and he has dropped since. Globally, France ranks ninth place in countries where Go is the cheapest.
On paper, we can only rejoice for our purchasing power – ends of the month are sufficiently difficult like this. But there is still a price hidden from this generosity, and it is environmental. After The latest study by ARCEP and ADEMEdigital represented 4.4 % of the national carbon footprint in 2022, 46 % of which came from data consumption. However, it is absolutely essential to reduce this impact.
Gradual pricing of mobile plans: towards a bill?
Indeed, the use of 4G and 5G generates an environmental impact ten times higher than that of Wi-Fi. Hence what had led to the idea of setting up invoicing adapted to consumption to encourage Users to favor Wi-Fi, thus reducing both their carbon footprint and their invoice. Le number 130 today in France Reported that ADEME would plan to examine this track for a bill. “If the packages become more granular, consumers will adjust their use”estimates Renaud Kayanakis, telecom expert at Sia Partners. “But no operator will take the initiative, because it would amount to showing its customers how to pay less.”
But ADEME denies this desire for a bill with Bfmtv. First, remember that the agency cannot table a bill, only make observations and recommendations. And precisely, she specifies that it only wanted to highlight the impact of digital, in particular data center and electronic equipment, which represent 95 % of the carbon footprint in France, against only 5 % for the data packages Mobiles. The opportunity to make suggestions to invite us to change our habits.
ADEME invites you to prefer to connect to Wi-Fi at home or to work, rather than stay in 4G or 5G. It also calls to increase the lifespan of electronic devices and to avoid using artificial intelligence when it is not useful, AI being one of the main vectors of carbon emissions. There is therefore no question of touching the user wallet at the moment.