Free Mobile has optimised its internet protocol suite, as it bids to improve its data performance among customers.
The operator recently trialled Teclo Networks’ Sambal TCP/IP optimisation product before rolling it out across its network, which comprises more than 8.6 million subscribers. Teclo said its product reduces the negative effects of packet loss and latency on mobile networks.
It said it does this by bringing “the consistentcy of fixed line internet to mobile networks”. It also offers two compression features. The first has no effects on content while the second can make web pages load faster at the cost of poorer quality images.
Free will be keen to improve its performance after France’s regulator said it offered a “substantially poorer” experience compared to its rivals. ARCEP said the operator only scored an above average performance on a few metrics.
Thomas Reynaud, Free’s Chief Financial Officer and Head of Business Development, said: “We considered a number of options to strengthen our mobile internet speeds and Teclo Networks exceeded our expectations.
“Our decision-making process based on actual testing was fast and efficient thanks to the quality of this very well designed solution. Throughput improvements on all network technologies, especially 3G and 4G are truly impressive. The product is perfectly stable and reliable.”
Despite its gloomy assessment from the French regulator, Free Mobile has been credited with shaking up the country’s mobile market since it launched two years ago. Its performance has helped owner Groupe Iliad burst through the €1bn sales mark for the first time.
There have been longstanding rumours that Free will eventually get snapped up by one of its rivals, with the French market widely expected to consolidate in the coming months.
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