After Orange and Bouygues Telecom, Free’s turn to switch its internet boxes to Wi-Fi 6E. The Iliad group operator announced on Tuesday that the Freebox Delta, its high-end box, will now operate in the 6 GHz frequency band, “in addition to the existing frequency bands”, namely the 2.4 GHz bands. and 5GHz.
For Xavier Niel’s operator, it is a question of “optimizing coverage inside the home by making it possible to simultaneously connect an increasing number of equipment and mobile terminals to the same network without loss of speed” . The addition of Wi-Fi 6E must also “guarantee a better connection in high-density areas”, by exploiting a new, little-used frequency band to stem any risk of congestion.
The new version of Wi-Fi 6 allows the support of devices capable of operating on the 6 GHz band, unlike devices compatible with the new Wi-Fi 6 standard but operating only on the 2.4 GHz bands and 5 GHz, still classified as Wi-Fi 6. The exploitation of this previously unused frequency band for these needs has multiple advantages. According to the Wi-Fi Alliance, this frequency band has enough contiguous spectrum to provide seven 160 MHz channels and 14 80 MHz channels. This better supports high-bandwidth applications such as high-definition video streaming and virtual reality.
The competition is already there
For Iliad’s management, the combination of support for the 6 GHz band and the 10G-EPON technology already available on its box will allow its subscribers to benefit from very fast speeds, once their “Server” has been changed. Note that ADSL subscribers will also be able to access Wi-Fi 6E, “which will allow them to benefit from this optimal connectivity as soon as they are eligible for fiber”.
Regarding the availability of this offer, already accessible to new subscribers, the new Server offered by Free will be available to current Freebox Delta subscribers during the summer, still at the monthly rate of 39.99 euros per month for one year, then 49.99 euros per month.
As a reminder, Orange and Bouygues Telecom have already adopted Wi-Fi 6E on their own internet boxes, unlike SFR, which prefers to stick to a combination of Wi-Fi U6 and XGS- fiber technology. PON deployed on its SFR 8X box.