Orange unveils free broadband offer
Mobile phone company Orange today unveiled an assault on the UK internet market by offering free home broadband from next month.
The move came as the company announced a tie-up with internet provider Wanadoo. Both firms are owned by France Telecom.
As part of a drive to bring a series of France Telecom operations under one brand, Orange will also start offering landline services to businesses.
The broadband move is likely to increase competition in the market for home internet connections following a move into the sector by Carphone Warehouse’s landline business TalkTalk earlier this year.
From June 14, Orange customers paying more than £30 (€44) a month on contracts, will be given a plug-in broadband modem called a “Livebox”.
While the system requires a standard phone connection, customers can opt to plug an ordinary phone into the Livebox using the internet to make calls – free in the evenings and weekends to UK landlines.
For an extra £6 (€8.70) customers could make free calls to landlines and other Orange phones at other times, Orange said.
The box uses “wi-fi” technology which allows customers to access the internet remotely from anywhere in the house.
Today’s internet and mobile phone tie-up is the latest in a series of statements from telecoms operators about “convergence” between different media and communications products.
Yesterday Vodafone said that it was examining ways to bring mobile, fixed line and internet offerings together as part of its strategy to drum up new business in Western Europe where the mobile market is already well established.
Last month NTL and Virgin also indicated that it would offer a “quadplay” package with cable TV, broadband, fixed line and mobile phone services as part of its merger with Virgin Mobile.
Orange also hopes to introduce a home television package using the Livebox next year but no date has been announced.
Orange chief executive Sanjiv Ahuja said: “Customers today want a seamless experience.
“They don’t care about the technology. And with the convergence of all the group’s services under the Orange brand, customers will be able to access all their information, communications and entertainment needs wherever, whenever and however they wish.”
