Starting from March 5th, a mobile network for everyone in the Principality

Starting from March 5, 2024, all subscribers to French mobile services will be welcomed in the Principality on the Monaco network. This deployment, led by the Princely Government in coordination with French operators and the national operator Monaco Telecom, aims to unify the quality of the mobile network across the territory.

As a result, subscribers will be in roaming when visiting Monaco. They will have access to the “Monaco Telecom” mobile network, which will be displayed at the top of their phone screen instead of the name of their French operator.

The goal is to allow users, as is the case when they visit one of the countries in the European zone, to benefit from the local operator’s telephone network for incoming and outgoing calls or internet connection.

In practice, to use the Monaco Telecom network, subscribers to French mobile services will need to check, upon their first arrival in the territory, that the following settings are initialized:

• Cellular data and roaming “Data abroad.” Mobile internet services, such as MMS, WhatsApp, or applications, require the activation of cellular data;
• The prefix +33 must be dialed for any call to France. The number should be saved in the same format in the phonebook if necessary;
• Set to “Automatic network selection” or, when the mobile phone shows no network, manually select “Monaco Telecom.”

A few days before the deployment, Christophe Pierre, Director of Platforms and Digital Resources within the Interministerial Delegation for Digital Transition, spoke about its necessity and advantages: “Faced with the continuous growth in mobile device usage and the need to deal with a high population density and limited frequency resources, the Princely Government wanted to initiate this transition towards a unified mobile network. Supported by State Services, it was made possible through collaboration with French operators and our national operator and will, in the long run, promote service quality and consistent coverage for all subscribers to foreign mobile services.”

An FAQ section, with questions and answers, intended to provide information to subscribers of French operators, is available on the Mon Service Public website https://monservicepublic.gouv.mc/reseau-unifie-faq.