en.Wedoany.com Reported - French telecom operator Free has launched its new high-end set-top box, the Freebox Ultra, offering symmetrical upload and download speeds of up to 8 Gbit/s and supporting the Wi-Fi 7 wireless standard. These speeds require fiber optic lines compliant with the 10G-EPON standard. It is estimated that by 2026, depending on the region, only 60% to 70% of Free's lines will be compatible.

The Freebox Ultra subscription fee directly includes multiple mainstream streaming services, such as Netflix Standard, Disney+ Standard, Prime Video, Universal+, and CANAL+ La Chaîne. For television, the package includes over 340 channels with support for catch-up TV, time-shifting, and recording capabilities of up to 320 hours. The set-top box runs on the Android TV system. Free believes that this pricing reflects the growing consumer demand for streaming services among French users. For households that do not need the full streaming package, Free offers the Freebox Ultra Essentiel, priced at €39.99 per month for the first year and €49.99 per month thereafter, with the same network performance but without streaming platform subscriptions. Additionally, there is the Série Spéciale Freebox Pop S plan, priced at €24.99 per month with no contract, offering download speeds of up to 5 Gbit/s.

In terms of pricing, the Freebox Ultra costs €49.99 per month for the first year, rising to €59.99 per month from the 13th month onward, with no contract required.