The Texto SMS Gratuit team
11 July 2026 · 4 min read
A text that won't send, a call that drops the moment you leave the town centre, a signal bar that plays hide-and-seek: in many rural areas, mobile coverage is still a daily headache. Since 2018, a quiet but massive programme has been trying to fix it — the New Deal Mobile. Where do things really stand in 2026? Arcep has just published its review as of 31 March, and it tells a two-part story.
The New Deal Mobile in brief
The New Deal Mobile is a 2018 agreement between the French state, Arcep and the four operators (Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Free). In exchange for extended spectrum licences, operators committed to improving coverage where the market alone never would: isolated villages, transport routes, sparsely populated areas.
Its flagship component is the targeted coverage scheme. The idea is simple: operators don't decide where to build — local authorities do. They identify the poorly served spots, and operators are then obliged to install a 4G mast there within a set deadline.
The numbers as of 31 March 2026
The table published by the regulator lets us measure progress precisely. As of 31 March 2026, 5,246 sites had been designated by local authorities under the targeted coverage scheme.
| Site status | Count |
|---|---|
| Live | 4,239 |
| Going live by end of 2026 | 143 |
| To be deployed within 6 to 24 months | 558 |
| Pending | 306 |
| Total designated | 5,246 |
In other words, more than four sites out of five are already switched on. Another striking figure: for the historic "rural dead-zone town centres" programme, 99.7% of the sites recorded on 1 July 2018 are now 4G-equipped. Basic coverage of rural town centres is therefore all but complete.
Why the last sites are the hardest
Here's the second part of the story. The numbers may be good, but Arcep warns: the easy part is behind us. The hundreds of masts still to be built concentrate every difficulty:
- Technical constraints: sloping terrain, no access road, high-altitude sites.
- No power supply: sometimes a line must be run for several kilometres.
- Local opposition: appeals against installing an antenna near homes.
- Administrative red tape: long, complex planning permits.
The result: a site designated today can take 18 to 24 months before it goes on air. It's the paradox of the "final kilometres" — the most expensive and slowest to cover, precisely because they are the most isolated.
What it changes for you
Better 4G coverage first means calls and texts that actually go through where, yesterday, you had to climb a hill to get a signal. It's also the foundation for other essential services: FR-Alert emergency broadcasts via cell broadcast, which require a live network, and the overall reliability praised in Arcep's latest satisfaction barometer.
To check whether your town is affected, the simplest option is to consult Arcep's voice and SMS coverage maps, which log the state of the network site by site. And for areas that even 4G will never reach, another path is emerging: SMS by satellite, which promises a safety net beyond the masts. Finally, this 4G ramp-up goes hand in hand with the gradual switch-off of 2G: the old frequencies are closing, and 4G is taking over everywhere.
In short
The New Deal Mobile is broadly keeping its promises: rural France is far better covered than five years ago, and the historic dead zones have all but vanished. But perfect coverage remains a moving target, and the last black spots will still require patience.
In the meantime, if you just need to send a reliable message without relying on your mobile plan, our free SMS sending form works from any browser, with no sign-up and no ads. For bulk sending, discover our SMS packs, browse the FAQ or contact us.
