Description
The Fédération FDN brings together about 30 non-profit internet access providers run as associations, almost all in France, plus Neutrinet in Belgium and SNN in Switzerland. Seven associations founded it on 12 March 2011, among them FDN, created in June 1992 and the oldest internet provider in France still running.
Members sign a charter of good practice: subscribers are voting members, leaders are volunteers, profits are never shared out, and there is no filtering, traffic prioritisation or alteration of data unless the law strictly requires it. The charter is not binding. The federation sells nothing itself. It lists its members, with a map to find the one covering a given town, and pools collection links so that small members can offer ADSL, fibre or mobile data.
Members rent lines from wholesale operators and run their own neutral network on top. FDN, for example, charges individuals €36 to €55 a month for fibre, depending on the network, after a one-off fee of €66 to €180, and €6 a month for a VPN; membership costs €15.24 a year (checked November 2026). The federation also defends online freedoms: with La Quadrature du Net it took the French state to the Conseil d’État over surveillance and data retention.
Strengths
- Shared principles: net neutrality and member democracy in black and white.
- Small, local, non-profit providers instead of big operators.
- A map to find the member near you.
Weaknesses
- No prices on the federation site: each provider sets its own.
- Five members have shown no sign of life for over a year, and the charter is not binding.
- Many areas are not covered, support is run by volunteers, and there is no phone line or TV.
Who it is for
People in France who want internet access from a small local association committed to net neutrality, and don’t mind some do-it-yourself.
Sources
- Fédération FDN: Home, Membres, Charte, checked November 2026
- FDN: Home, Accès Internet, VPN, checked November 2026
- Wikipedia: Fédération FDN