Practical guides
Practical guides to make use of cell tower data: finding the nearest mast, placing a 4G/5G router, aiming an outdoor antenna, comparing carriers and understanding 5G in France. Figures quoted are calculated from the official ANFR register.
- How to find the cell towers near youFour ways to locate the mobile masts around an address, from official regulator records to crowdsourced maps and your own phone, and how to tell which one you are actually connected to.
- Where to put a 4G or 5G router for the best signalA step-by-step method to place a 4G/5G home router: find your carrier's nearest mast and its direction, pick the right window, then fine-tune with RSRP and SINR readings instead of signal bars.
- 5G in France by carrier: who has the most 5G masts, and on which bandsOur count of 5G masts for Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Free Mobile from ANFR records, split by frequency band, and why a 5G icon on your phone does not always mean faster speeds.
- 5G in French cities: how many masts near the centre carry fast 5GWe compared 15 French cities, from Paris and Lyon to Reims and La Rochelle, by the share of masts near the centre that broadcast 3.5 GHz 5G, using ANFR records.
- Why is my mobile signal bad at home? Causes and fixesThe usual reasons for poor mobile reception indoors, from distance and terrain to building materials, busy cells and the phone itself, and what actually helps for each one.
- How to choose a mobile carrier by coverage where you liveHow to compare Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Free Mobile for your own address: masts per carrier nearby, distance and direction, the regulator's coverage maps, and what budget brands change.
- Choosing and aiming an outdoor 4G/5G antennaWhen an outdoor antenna is worth it, how to choose between omnidirectional, panel and Yagi models, how to aim it at the right mast using its compass bearing, and the cable mistakes that waste the gain.
- What is a cell site? Masts, sectors, cells and bands explainedWhat a cell site is, how one mast can carry dozens of cells, what sectors and azimuths mean, and how often French carriers share the same mast, with figures from the national register.
- Understanding France's official antenna register (ANFR data)What the ANFR antenna register contains, how its records are structured, which sites we show and which we leave out, and what the data cannot tell you about coverage.
- Cell towers and exposure in France: limits, measurements and your rightsThe legal exposure limits for mobile antennas in France, how to get a free official measurement at home, where to find past measurement results, and what the town hall must be told before a new antenna is installed.