Faced with the American Starlink, owned by Elon Musk, which already has 10,000 subscribers in France, Orange is flexing its muscles in the satellite internet access market. Since Thursday, November 16, individuals located in mainland France can subscribe to its new offer, simply called Satellite Orange.
For 49.99 euros per month, with the first month free, subscribers will be able to benefit from an unlimited connection of up to 200 Mbits/s down and 15 Mbits/s up. This is a price higher than the standard package for residential use of Starlink which was recently reduced from 50 to 40 euros per month. This fixed subscription authorizes, according to our colleague Lemon Press a download rate greater than 100 Mbits/s and an upstream rate is of the order of 10 Mbits/s.
State financial assistance
The costs linked to the material equipment are, on the other hand, reduced. The Orange “Satellite Kit” is available for purchase for 299 euros or to rent for 8 euros per month. The antenna can be installed by the subscriber or an approved partner, a service billed at 299 euros with a one-year guarantee. As for the SpaceX subsidiary, the hardware kit (base, router, cables) costs 450 euros and installation is the sole responsibility of the subscriber.
Individuals eligible for the “Territorial Digital Cohesion” scheme can also benefit from financial assistance of up to 300 euros for the purchase of the kit or the equipment installation service. This system aims to strengthen effective access to very high speed for French people who do not yet have access to optical fiber.
The historic operator specifies that its offer also includes telephony with unlimited calls to landlines in mainland France and 50 other destinations and to mobiles in mainland France and 8 other destinations, without changing the telephone number. What Starlink’s residential offer does not provide.
Satellite Orange is marketed by the operator’s distribution network – online store, points of sale – and operated by its subsidiary Nordnet, a French specialist in satellite internet for 15 years. Note that Nordnet offers an “Internet neosat” plan from 34.90 euros per month, but without unlimited calls.
With this satellite internet access offer, Orange is extending its portfolio of connectivity solutions beyond ADSL, optical fiber and domestic boxes connected to 4G or 5G (4G Home and 5G Home). According to the operator, it’sIt is particularly aimed at customers who are not eligible for fiber and those with low ADSL speeds. »
A sovereign offer
Orange plays sovereignty by relying on the expertise of the French and European space industry. Its offer calls on the Eutelsat Konnect VHTS satellite, designed by Thalès Alenia Space and launched in September 2022 by Ariane 5. Weighing 6.5 tonnes and measuring 9 meters high, it would be the largest European satellite ever designed, belonging to the new generation of satellites with 100% electric propulsion, therefore less polluting.
Since the arrival of the Starlink juggernaut with its constellation of 5,000 satellites, and while awaiting the effective launch of Amazon’s Kuiper (3,200 satellites), space internet has become an ultra-competitive market, valued at $16 billion. in 2030. It makes it possible to serve white areas, in open country, in mountains or in the open sea, not served by wired networks (optical fiber, cable, ASDL) or mobile (4G, 5G, THD Radio).
Faced with new American entrants, the French operator Eutelsat recently confirmed its merger with the British OneWeb, giving rise to a giant in satellite connectivity, combining solutions both in geostationary orbit and in low orbit.