5G in French cities: how many masts near the centre carry fast 5G
Cell Site Map · Published 4 November 2026
We 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.
Which French cities have the most complete fast 5G in their centre? To compare cities of very different sizes, we looked at every mast within 3 km of each city's centre and counted how many broadcast 5G, and how many broadcast it on 3.5 GHz, the band that gives the big speed gains. Our 5G by carrier guide explains why that band matters.
The comparison
| City | Masts within 3 km | With any 5G | With 3.5 GHz | Share on 3.5 GHz |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Rochelle | 23 | 23 | 22 | 96% |
| Grenoble | 118 | 112 | 109 | 92% |
| Dijon | 79 | 76 | 72 | 91% |
| Bordeaux | 165 | 149 | 141 | 85% |
| Reims | 77 | 73 | 65 | 84% |
| Toulouse | 249 | 212 | 194 | 78% |
| Montpellier | 183 | 156 | 143 | 78% |
| Nantes | 131 | 109 | 96 | 73% |
| Strasbourg | 154 | 132 | 111 | 72% |
| Lyon | 433 | 328 | 293 | 68% |
| Nice | 216 | 152 | 141 | 65% |
| Lille | 218 | 136 | 125 | 57% |
| Paris | 852 | 520 | 476 | 56% |
| Rennes | 141 | 87 | 75 | 53% |
| Marseille | 422 | 229 | 203 | 48% |
A mast is one physical support, whichever carriers use it. Source: ANFR open data, September 2026, counted by Cell Site Map.
What stands out
- Mid-sized cities lead on share. In La Rochelle, Grenoble and Dijon, more than nine masts out of ten near the centre carry 3.5 GHz. Reims, a frequent search on this site, is also well covered at 84%.
- Paris has by far the most 5G masts (476 on 3.5 GHz within 3 km of the centre), even though the share is lower. Large cities have many older or very small sites, such as rooftop antennas serving a single street, and not all of them have been upgraded.
- Marseille and Rennes have the lowest share in this list. That does not mean no 5G: it means a smaller part of their existing mast network has 3.5 GHz so far.
- Every city in the list has 3.5 GHz from all four carriers somewhere within 3 km of the centre.
Share versus coverage
A high share is a good sign, but it is not the same as coverage. A city with few, well-placed 5G masts can give a better experience than one with many masts that are mostly 4G. The 3 km circle also cuts differently depending on the city: it covers almost all of La Rochelle but only the historic centre of Paris or Marseille.
For your own street, the city page is more useful than the average: it lists the nearest masts with their distance and direction, and the map can be filtered to show only 5G, or only your carrier.
Method
For each city we took the centre point used on its Cell Site Map page and counted the distinct antenna supports within 3 km in the ANFR register, keeping only sites recorded as in service or technically operational. A support counts as "with 3.5 GHz" if at least one carrier broadcasts 5G on that band there.