The Freebox V9, which should be announced in a few days, will undoubtedly support the Wi-Fi 7.
Free has already formalized the imminent launch of a new Freebox, which should arrive before the end of 2023. But so far, we know very little about this product. We must therefore rely on the indiscretions gleaned here and there to find out more about this Freebox V9.
Freebox OS updates for Wi-Fi 7
The device would be compatible with the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard, we learn from Tiino-X83, well known in the Free community for unearthing interesting information before anyone else. The user spotted two lines of code mentioning the final generation of the wireless connectivity standard in the next version of Freebox OS. It is therefore very likely that the Freebox V9 will support Wi-Fi 7, or IEEE 802.11 for short.
Wi-Fi 7 uses the three frequency bands (2.4, 5 and 6 GHz) of Wi-Fi 6E, reducing the risk of network congestion and therefore reduced performance. However, the channel size is doubled to 320 MHz. Technologies like MU-MIMO and OFDMA are also improving with the move to Wi-Fi 7.
The new standard promises an explosion in speeds, which could reach up to 46 Gbps from a theoretical point of view, compared to 9.6 Gbps for Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E. Thanks to the preamble perforation, we also expect a significant reduction in latency. Of course, you will need Wi-Fi 7 compatible terminals, which should start arriving in 2024, to take advantage of this.
What future for the Freebox Delta?
The Freebox V9 should be positioned as the successor to the Freebox Delta, which is already five years old. Indeed, Iliad has confirmed that it is a high-end box. If we rely on the strategy adopted by Free previously, the Freebox Delta (V7) should however continue to be marketed for a while, perhaps less expensive than currently.
Free customers can always opt for the Freebox Pop (V8) for a more economical offer. As for the price of subscriptions with Freebox V9, they should be communicated during the month of December.
Source : Freebox universe
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