Since April 7, 2022, Orange has been marketing its new Internet box, the Livebox 6. Reserved for fiber subscribers, it is distinguished above all by the integration of the latest generation of Wi-Fi, its options and its high price.
Gone are the days when the announcement of a new Internet box made people dream – drool? – the geeks. It must be said that between the deployment of fiber optics, which provides more than sufficient speeds in homes, the generalization of connected TVs, which integrate more and more functions, and the multiplication of OTT services (over the top service, for services independent of the operator), which directly offer thousands of streaming contents, the craze for classic “boxes” (modem-router and multimedia player) has gradually waned. Even the Triple Play model that made the heyday of the Freebox and its competitors fifteen years ago seems to have lost its luster, although it is still very widespread.
Fortunately, this lack of enthusiasm does not prevent operators from moving forward. And if innovation is less flamboyant than before, it is improvement that now serves as the engine of evolution. With the main objective being comfort of use. Witness Orange, which has just launched, on Thursday April 7, 2022, its brand new Internet box: the Livebox 6.
Livebox 6: a redesigned design
On the program first of all, a profound aesthetic overhaul. Farewell to the sad rectangular plastic case of the Livebox 5. Orange has decided, like Free with its Freebox Delta released in December 2018, to break the aesthetic codes of Internet boxes. The incumbent is therefore betting on a square-shaped anthracite-colored case, with rounded corners, about twenty centimeters on the side. All in curves, the machine shows elegance, by dressing it with a woven material of the most beautiful effect on its sides.
In addition, if it can be laid flat, the Livebox 6 should rather be arranged vertically for better distribution of Wi-Fi. On the front, no diode or LCD screen, but a small touch screen with electronic display. -ink (electronic ink), the same technology used on electronic readers such as Amazon’s Kindles or Fnac’s Kobos. A very successful redesign of the design which also conceals some developments and a bet on the future inside.
Livebox 6: a greener box
Sign of the times: the Livebox 6 is “greener” than its ancestors. Thus, its case is made of 100% recycled and recyclable plastic. A good point to limit waste. Above all, Orange wants to make its new Livebox a model of ecology by focusing on reducing electricity consumption. A laudable concern when you know that a box often operates 24 hours a day, which represents a significant cost on the electricity bill, especially at a time when energy prices are rising sharply. The Livebox 6 therefore inaugurates new approaches.
First, it features an energy-efficient e-ink touch screen – much less than an LCD or OLED screen. On the other hand, it will be necessary to acclimatize to the defects inherent in this technology such as a certain slowness in handling and the need for an external light to be able to read what is displayed there.
But above all, the Livebox 6 is one of the few boxes to have a standby mode. It is thus possible to completely or partially cut off the activity of the box during the night (to retain or not the possibility of receiving and making telephone calls) in order to save up to 95% of energy. The watch can be activated remotely: practical if you forgot to unplug the box before going on vacation or weekend. But be careful: in this mode, all the connected objects in the house become inoperative. Surveillance cameras, door and window alarms, robot vacuum cleaners and other lights do not have access to Wi-Fi or the Internet and cannot be controlled remotely. Boring for security systems… A real paradox when you remember that not so long ago, Orange was touting the merits of its service Connected home based on remote home monitoring using the Livebox 5.
Livebox 6: fast Wi-Fi and scalable wired
With its Livebox 6, Orange also wants to take a big step forward in terms of performance to catch up with its competitors and bet on the future. For this, the box relies first of all on a better wireless connection. The Livebox 6 thus embeds a Wi-Fi 6E module allowing the use of the 6 GHz frequency band, in addition to the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz of Wi-Fi 5. The key is higher speed – up to at theoretical 2 Gbit/s – and a more stable connection. It is still necessary to have devices compatible with this brand new standard (see our article), which are still relatively few in number. For example, on the smartphone side, there are the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, S22 and Fold 3 5G, the Xiaomi Mi 11 or the Asus ROG Phone 5 Ultimate. Wi-Fi 6E is not yet present on iPhones, it is hoped for with the iPhone 14 range. Fi 6E.
As for the wired connection, Orange is also betting on the future. This fiber box has four 1 Gbit/s Ethernet ports and one 2.5 Gbit/s Ethernet port. However, the speed will for the moment be limited to 2 Gbit/s (as on the Livebox 5) in downstream speed and 800 Mbit/s in upstream speed. The operator still operates a GPON (Gigabit Optical Passive Network) fiber optic network which caps the speed at 2 Gbit/s where its competitors such as Free or SFR rely on an XGS-PON network (symmetrical 10 Gigabit Optical Passive Network). Network) to reach theoretical speeds of 8 Gbits/s. But Orange wants to be reassuring: the Livebox 6 is scalable. Its Ethernet module can be exchanged for a more efficient model to reach 10 Gbits/s, when the network is ready and the needs arise.
Livebox 6: an expensive subscription
Livebox 6 has been available in Orange stores since April 7. But not for everyone. First, it is reserved for customers with fiber, Orange is counting on the planned abandonment of copper and therefore of ADSL. Then, to take advantage of it, you have to subscribe to a the new Livebox Max Fiber offer, a subscription with a 12-month commitment, billed at 34.99 euros per month for the first year, then 54.99 euros per month – a refund of termination fees is provided for new customers coming from another operator. A high price that places the Livebox 6 in a “premium” segment, in competition with the Freebox Delta. Note that for this price, Orange offers the Wi-Fi serenity service which allows you to be in the configuration of the box by an Orange technician on the phone. Original and practical for people who are not very comfortable with computers. In addition, the operator provides, on request and after subscription, up to three Wi-Fi 6 repeaters (10 euros each) to extend the range and quality of the wireless network. A good point for houses, especially with thick walls.
Finally, alongside the launch of this new box and this new offer, Orange is making a nice surprise gift to Livebox Fiber subscribers. Billed 22.99 euros per month the first year (with a minimum commitment of 12 months) then 41.99 euros per month thereafter, this package now offers a theoretical speed of 500 Mbit / s symmetrical (downstream and upward). It was previously capped at 400 Mbit/s. A significant commercial gesture which also allows the operator to get closer to the offers of its competitors, much cheaper when they are offered on promotion, as SFR and Bouygues regularly do.