The Texto SMS Gratuit team
9 July 2026 · 4 min read
It is a quiet but symbolic milestone in the race for ultra-fast broadband: in early July 2026, Bouygues Telecom announced that it had become the first French operator to offer XGS-PON technology across 100% of its FTTH fiber network. In practice, every fiber-eligible subscriber can now get speeds of up to 8 Gbps, fully symmetric — as fast for uploads as for downloads.
Behind the technical acronym lies a real shift for fixed internet in France. Here is what changes, where the other operators stand, and why this gigabit race matters even to people who just want to send messages.
XGS-PON: "super fiber" without changing the cables
XGS-PON (10 Gigabit Symmetrical Passive Optical Network) is the evolution of GPON, the technology behind most fiber lines for the past decade. The difference comes down to two numbers:
| Technology | Download speed (theoretical) | Upload speed (theoretical) |
|---|---|---|
| GPON ("classic" fiber) | 2.5 Gbps | 1.25 Gbps |
| XGS-PON | ~10 Gbps | ~10 Gbps |
The most remarkable part: no new cables are needed. XGS-PON sends a more powerful light signal through the very same glass fibers, on a different wavelength. Only the equipment at each end (at the operator's premises and in your home router) changes. That is how Bouygues Telecom managed to complete its migration several months ahead of the schedule it set when the rollout started in July 2023.
Free, Orange, SFR: where does the competition stand?
Bouygues Telecom is first on XGS-PON, but not first on 8 Gbps. Free already offers that speed to all of its eligible subscribers with the Freebox Ultra — using a sibling technology, 10G-EPON, deployed across its entire network. For the end user, the two approaches are equivalent.
Orange, which launched XGS-PON in 2023 with its Livebox Max, is targeting full coverage by the end of 2026. As for SFR, roughly half of its eligible households were covered by mid-2025 — but the operator, currently being acquired by its three rivals, has its future decided elsewhere than in gigabits.
This fiber upgrade goes hand in hand with a broader movement: the gradual shutdown of the copper network and ADSL, which pushes millions of households to fiber every year. As of April 1, 2026, about 95% of premises in France were FTTH-eligible.
8 Gbps: who actually needs it?
Let's be honest: for streaming a show in 4K (25 Mbps is plenty) or video calls, 8 Gbps is extreme comfort. Symmetric speeds, however, are a game changer for remote work (large file uploads, cloud backups), content creators, heavily connected households and gamers.
The other good news is indirect: generalizing XGS-PON relieves congestion on the network. Even without subscribing to an 8 Gbps plan, users benefit from a less saturated network at peak hours. All at prices that remain reasonable on fixed broadband — the average fiber plan costs around €34 per month — while mobile plan prices are heading back up.
Meanwhile, the SMS still only needs a few bytes
There is something delightful about watching operators fight over gigabits while the world's most reliable messaging service — the SMS — makes do with 140 bytes. No fiber needed, not even 4G: a text message gets through everywhere, including where coverage is scarce, as our articles on satellite SMS and on Arcep's coverage maps show.
And if your connection — 8 Gbps fiber or plain Wi-Fi — is your only link to the world, remember it is all you need to send a text: our free SMS sending form works from any browser, with no sign-up and no ads. For bulk sending, check out our SMS packs, browse the FAQ or contact us.
