TELEPHONE SERVICES

Establishing a phone line in France usually takes 72 hours. If you are moving into an apartment or house where the line has been deactivated, you might have to wait a week or so for a technician to come. Some operators ask for proof of a residence permit (carte de séjour) and a French bank account before they will establish a line for you.

France Télécom no longer maintains a monopoly, so there are now many operators offering competitive local and international rates to choose from.

If you live in an area designated as a zone de dégroupage total, you can, in theory, go through any operator to get a phone number and avoid a monthly subscription fee to France Télécom. To find out the status of your phone line, see the telephone regulatory authority's dégroupage map.

Expats who intend to make frequent international calls are advised to shop around for the most competitive telephone service. You can request brochures on most of the operators' websites, many of which have information in English. Take your time, ask a savvy French friend or co-worker for advice, and decide which company or package will work best for you.

Another way to reduce your international phone bills is by using one of several downloadable VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) software packages, such as Skype, MSN Messenger, Wengo or Free. These allow you to make free international phone calls from your computer over your ADSL line, as long as the person you are calling uses the same system. Connection quality can be poor compared with conventional phone services.