The pricing changes and complicated access requirements that come with Orange Livebox 7 may confuse consumers, adding complexity and confusion to their experience.
Orange, the largest internet service provider in France, recently unveiled its Livebox 7. While the arrival of a new box can often arouse enthusiasm, this introduction is accompanied by price changes and access conditions. which, far from simplifying the consumer’s life, add a layer of complexity and incomprehension.
Pricing complexity and end of Open offers
The company has made the surprising decision to end its Open offerings. These offered the possibility of combining fixed internet services with mobile lines, thus simplifying management and billing for customers. With the end of these offers, customers find themselves obliged to separate their lines, causing certain confusion at the price level, despite a discount promised by the company.
In addition, while prices are increasing, the volume of mobile data included in the plans is decreasing. This results in less attractive offers for consumers, who may feel encouraged to explore the competition’s offerings.
Conditions of access to Livebox 7 and proposed speeds
Accessing Livebox 7 is not an easy task. To benefit from this technology at no additional cost, you must subscribe to the Livebox Max offer (after October 5). For others, access to Livebox 7 promises to be more complicated, and potentially more expensive.
Additionally, there is a mismatch between advertised speeds and actual offers available, creating additional confusion for customers. For example, for an eligible XGS-PON customer (an optical fiber technology allowing very high speeds), the Orange site offers a 2 Gb/s offer while the technology allows speeds of up to 5 Gb/s for individuals and 8 Gb/s for businesses.
An increasing price list
The costs associated with Orange’s offers have also increased. For a move involving a change of offer, the customer will have to pay 100 euros. A change of TV decoder will cost 40 euros. The Livebox Max, already considered one of the most expensive offers on the market, sees its price increase: €39.99/month for six months (instead of 12 previously) then €57.99/month, with a 12-month commitment, plus activation and equipment costs.
For professionals, the Livebox Pro Fiber offer has speeds of up to 8 Gb/s in reception and 2 Gb/s in transmission, with a price of €48 excluding tax/month for 12 months then €55 excluding tax/month.
For comparison, competitors such as Free and Bouygues offer offers at €49.99/month and €50.99/month respectively, prices significantly lower than those of Orange.
Fibre
Bbox fit Fibre
Débit jusqu’à 400 Mb/s
Sans Player TV
Téléphonie vers 110 destinations
Fibre, Câble
RED box Fibre
Débit jusqu’à 500 Mb/s
Sans Player TV
Téléphonie vers 100 destinations
Fiber, Cable
SFR Fiber Starter
Flow up to 500 Mbps
160 TV channels included
Telephony to 1 destinations
All internet boxes
No improvement in services
It seems that Orange has neglected an entire section of its offering: television and associated content. While the media and entertainment sector is undergoing profound change with the advent of streaming platforms and online content, Orange is not bringing any notable innovation to this niche.
The TV decoder, for example, does not benefit from any significant update, just like the user interface which seems outdated compared to the solutions offered by the competition. These elements contribute to making the offer less attractive.
Additionally, while many service providers offer dedicated apps for popular devices such as Apple TV, Orange does not currently have such an app. This lack limits the options available to customers wishing to consume television and streaming content through other hardware.
An offer difficult to understand and justify
As you can see, Orange’s new offers are characterized by complexity and pricing opacity which can confuse or even repel existing or potential customers.
The end of Open offers, conditioned and complex access to Livebox 7, the speeds offered below technical possibilities and an upwardly revised price list are all elements which, taken together, could well erode customer confidence. Orange customers.
It’s crazy, because the Livebox 7 already seems obsolete compared to the Freebox Delta, while Free is preparing to launch its Freebox 9 on the market.
This tangle of prices and offers inevitably evokes the chaotic launch of 5G offers offered by Sosh, Orange’s low-cost subsidiary. With proposals that were difficult to decipher and prices which, far from being competitive, had surprised more than one person.