Beginning in mid-September, The Illiad Group’s “Free” network will begin its FTTH service to eligible homes in Paris. The EUR 29.99 per month package includes:
- Internet access at 100 Mbps downstream and 50 Mbps upstream
- Free access to a landline
- Unlimited calling to 49 destinations, including mainland France, except special numbers
- Access to more than 100 audio and video channels, including HD
- Provision of two optical Freebox units for these video services.
The company promises to carry out the installtion within one month of validating an order.
Free also announced an extension of its content deal with the Canal+ Group.
http://www.free.fr/http://www.illiad.fr
- In December 2006, The Iliad Group’s “Free” broadband service selected Cisco’s Ethernet fiber-to-the-home (E-FTTH) technology for a mass rollout in France. Specifically, Free will deploy Cisco Catalyst 4500 Series Switches as the E-FTTH access platform at its new optical PoPs with 10 Gigabit Ethernet uplinks to its core network to make optimum use of the increased capacity provided by the Cisco CRS-1 Carrier Routing Systems.
- In September 2006, The Iliad Group’s Free division, unveiled plans for a widescale rollout of FTTH in Paris. The company said the new network will give it true independence from the incumbent operator, France Telecom. At the time, the company said the project would take 24 months to reach 2.1 million people. Free committed to invest EUR 1 billion in the project through 2012. The company initially will target areas were its Freebox installation density is greatest. The Freebox HD’s ADSL2+ terminal will be replaced by an optical box. Draka Comteq was selected to supply the FTTH network. The deployment will include two million kilometers of fiber and cable designed to resist the adverse conditions of sewers, through which many of the fiber lines will be deployed.