Free announced this Tuesday that it would extend its promise to block the prices of its mobile plans historical records for at least one additional year.
If Xavier Niel’s company is just as affected as its competitors by the rise in energy prices or investments in network infrastructure, it stands out by choosing not to put the burden on its customers. A strategy which is bearing fruit, and which should be extended at least until 2027.
Prices that have not changed for 12 years…
When Xavier Niel announced the creation of Free and its packages that were infinitely more affordable than those of its competitors more than 12 years ago, it was a response to the cartel scandal of the three large operators who had agreed on the subscription prices. But justice and this new competition forced Bouygues, Orange, and SFR to review their copy, considerably reducing the bill for their then customers.
Except that since then, and particularly in the face of inflation over the last two years, historic operators have gradually increased their prices, by one to three euros per month on average over the last two years. If some people thought that Free could not continue to display such prices forever, they were wrong. At least for the next four years. Car Free has extended by one year its promise made last year, by which it undertook not to increase the prices of its two historic packages, at €2 and €19.99 per month, for at least 5 years.
The only departure from this price block took place in 2023, when the 1 GB booster for the €2 subscription went from €2.99 to €4.99.
…for ever more data
In addition to not participating in the increase in the cost of living of its customers, Free even allows itself the luxury of strengthening the offers it offers. Thus, as Nicolas Thomas, the director of Free, explains, “ we always provide more services for the same price »
. Thus, the announcement of the extension of the price block on this Tuesday was coupled with another: subscribers to the Free 5G offer will now benefit free of charge on all screens from the OQEE by Free application, which was then included only with offers for an internet box. Furthermore, in 12 years, the data included in the €19.99 offer has increased from 3 GB to 250 GB.
For Nicolas Thomas, if the company can afford to maintain such attractive prices, it is because they attract more customers each year: +1.4 million over the last two years. This does not mean that it does not have to deal with rising operating costs. But Free chooses as much as possible to cut its internal charges to fight against it. And she will have to be content with it at least until 2027.
Source : The Parisian
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