Free has just struck a major blow by presenting its brand new Internet box, the Freebox Ultra. With its 8 Gbit/s fiber, its Wi-Fi 7, and its multiple video services included, it simply crushes the current competition.
This time, that’s it: Free has finally lifted the veil on its new Freebox. And, even if they have waited a long time, fans of the operator can rejoice because this Freebox Ultra – previously referred to simply by the nickname Freebox V9 – immediately appears to be the best Internet box on the market, very far ahead of the competition. Free clearly reconnects with the spirit of its beginnings by offering everything that many dreamed of in a particularly aggressive formula in terms of pricing. Enough to attract new subscribers and gain further market share.
True to form, Free had cleverly increased the pressure in recent weeks on social networks with some teasing operations suggesting something “never seen before”. And the first part of the presentation, broadcast live on YouTube, took over in the same spirit with a film featuring comedian Jean-Pascal Zadi, perfect in the role of the offbeat guest. A rhythmic and condensed presentation, rich in information, by different Free managers, before a show on stage by Xavier Niel, the emblematic founder of the company, who still had fun tackling the competition, as he likes to do .
But what do decorum and spectacle matter: the main thing remains that the Freebox Ultra reshuffles the cards in a market which has clearly calmed down in recent years. And it seems that Free has listened to its faithful this time to design its new box, as the Freebox Uitra ticks all the boxes.
On a technical level, the Freebox Ultra is only designed for very high speed optical fiber. no reason to offer an ADSL variant or option today, since this technology is set to disappear in the coming years. In fact, the Freebox Ultra takes the lead by offering a maximum speed of 8 Gbit/s symmetrically, that is to say both downstream and upstream. A first on the market, most competing operators are still limited to 1 Gbit/s when going down, and a lower speed when going up. This “large pipe” opens the door to many uses, being capable of transporting several large streams of data simultaneously, which will be of interest both to families who wish to watch 4K videos in streaming simultaneously and to streamers who broadcast their own live streams. contents. In any case, it is more than enough to approach the next ten years with peace of mind.
Another major new feature: the Freebox Ultra is the first box in the world equipped with Wi-Fi 7, the latest wireless communication standard. As Xavier Niel pointed out, it is also because it was only officially ratified very recently, at the beginning of January, that the launch of the new box, initially planned for the end of 2023, was delayed. Main advantages of this version compared to Wi-Fi 6 currently used in many equipment: higher speeds, better coverage and up to 100 devices connected simultaneously. Enough to satisfy many needs with the growing number of devices in homes, particularly connected objects. And to be sure to cover the largest homes, subscribers will have one or two repeaters available on request also in Wi-Fi 7. Very easy to configure accessories, Free promising ultra-fast installation, without complex procedures, with long passwords.
On a physical level, the Freebox Ultra benefits from a design inherited from the Freebox Pop. All round, its elegant white case is topped by a screen displaying various information, including a QR Code to quickly connect to Wi-Fi. Gathered at the back, its connectivity includes a Fiber port, a 10G-EPON port for connection to Free’s very high-speed fiber network but also four 2.5 Gbit/s Ethernet ports. Enough to ensure high-speed wired connections with all compatible devices. There is also a USB-C socket for power, assigned to a more standard adapter, as well as a USB-A socket compatible with USB 3 for connecting an external drive. Better yet, this box, which acts as a server, can host an NVMe SSD over the internet to store all kinds of files, including audio-video content.
Small, very important new feature: the Freebox Ultra has an on-off button located on the back. This is not a detail when we know that old historical Freeboxes like the Revolution were devoid of this essential switch. It demonstrates Free’s desire to offer an energy-efficient device. The operator also announces that it has made great efforts to reduce the electricity consumption of its new box as much as possible, by promising 10 W in normal use, and even less with various options, such as a total sleep mode which would only consume 0, 5 W. Well done! The operator also indicates that it has included settings allowing fine control of the use, and therefore the consumption, of its box in its management application, in particular to control access to devices – we are obviously thinking of children.
As usual, Free delivers with its new Freebox numerous services such as telephony to landlines and mobiles and apps to access content stored on the box or its Oqee streaming platform. But the operator has decided to go even further by including most subscriptions to streaming services in an all-inclusive package: TVbyCanal, Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, Free Ligue 1 and even Universal+ and, for the first time, the Canal+ channel live ! In short, everything to satisfy TV viewers as well as movie buffs and sports fans. Let us point out in passing that even if Free has not elaborated on the question, the Freebox Ultra, which only acts as a server, is supplied on request with a 4K TV box: the same as that of the Freebox Pop, which always seems up to date. On demand because, as with repeaters, Free now offers its subscribers the option of only receiving what is useful to them, without bothering with the rest.
The most surprising thing is that Free managed to contain prices, even with all the streaming services included. The Freebox Ultra is therefore offered at 49.99 euros per month for one year, then at 59.99 euros per month, without commitment. It’s cheaper than the sum of the subscriptions provided, not to mention Internet access! The good surprise is that the operator has also thought of users who do not need these video services by offering a lighter formula called Freebox Ultra Essentiel at 39.99 euros per month for one year, then at 49 .99 euros always without obligation. Prices that should make the competition cringe.
Note also that the Freebox Ultra subscription entitles you to reductions on the Free 5G unlimited mobile plan, with up to four packages at 9.99 euros per month for one year then at 15.99 euros per month.
Marketing of the Freebox Ultra will begin this Tuesday, January 30, from 2 p.m., on the Free website, by telephone at 1044 or in store. And given what this new Freebox offers, we imagine that it will be a rush…