The Fibra Iliad about to arrive: what services and rates we expect the launch, scheduled after the press conference on January 25? Some details are already known, others are just rumors and comparisons with what the company offers in France. But we can get an idea of this new offer that adds a choice to bring the internet into our home.
What to expect from Fiber Iliad: services and offers to come
Operators carrying the ultra-fast connection in our homes and in the offices they are not very many. The choice for whom to rely on to ensure stability and speed when we do smart working or watch a series in streaming are not infinite. But an important competitor is about to join: Iliad, which also brings fiber to Italy.
On January 25 the administrator Benedetto Levi will announce details for home connections, but we already know something. Some for sure.
For example, the fact that the Iliad landline will rely on the infrastructure of OpenFiber to move around the Italian territory. And that its connectionsi FTTH (Fiber To The Home) they promise speed of a 1Gbps, much more than you need to watch all the 4K movies you want and work from home as if you were in the office.
But there are some strategies, rumored by experts and ‘imported’ from France, which could also arrive in Italy. And then, there are the rumors about the rates.
Converging rates to increase savings
One of the strategies that Iliad uses in France and that we expect to see also in Italy is that of converging tariffs. Something that many operators already offer in our area (Fastweb, Tiscali and more) and that you can take advantage of for significant savings.
Iliad already has a mobile service among the most popular in Italy, which convinced many of our compatriots to change operator and trust the newcomer, with aggressive prices and interesting service. On the other side of the Alps, the operator Free (the Iliad company that manages the fiber) offers a mobile tariff halved for those who also have a fixed line. Could we see something similar in our country too?
Leaning on OpenFiber, Iliad cannot lower the cost of the service beyond a certain level: offering fiber at a price too close to what it costs it would be anti-economic (and blocked by the antitrust). More likely to operate instead by adjusting the price of the offers for smartphonesand, if associated with a landline.
The upcoming hardware and the streaming strategy
Free’s main offer in France is the package Freebox Pop, which in addition to the subscription includes three hardware devices. There is a router for WiFi, a repeater to extend the signal. But above all a TV box based on Android TV, equipped with a special remote control.
The Freebox Pop, which in Italy could take the name of Iliadbox to keep branding consistent, support the Wi–Fi AC2100 dual band (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz). It has full technology support MU-MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output), which helps when there are many connected devices in the house. It also supports the Bluetooth 5.0, WP3 for security. And there is no shortage of it three Ethernet ports (two 1 Gbps, one 2.5 Gbps). The operating system FreeboxOS, recently translated into Italian, manage updates also for the repeater (classic, not a mesh network).
The TV box is called instead Player Pop, based on Android TV. There is support for the 4K HDR Dolby Vision, it also has Dolby Atmos and a push-button remote for the Google Assistant. In France there are also channels for Netflix, Prime Video e Disney+. There is also the button for Canal+, that we could be replaced by some other streaming service (NOW, DAZN?).
The strategy of including streaming packages it has already had some success in Italy (from Fastweb to TIM, almost all operators offer it). In all likelihood, the Iliad fiber will also adopt this method, perhaps even with the possibility of purchasing hardware in installments.
Freebox (or Iliadbox) Delta
In France, you can also subscribe to a more expensive solution, which however offers better hardware and more services. Freebox Delta allows you to include a router that not only supports connections up to 10 Gbps (therefore very futuristic) but also of do as a NAS to save your data on the home network.
Plus, it offers a full package of streaming services. If the Pop version in France offers 12 months of Canal + and Disney +, here it is they also add Netflix and Prime Video. So let’s expect a similar promotion also in our country.
Iliad fiber: incoming tariffs
Comparing the French prices with the Italian ones cannot work: the lines are different, the prices higher beyond the Alps. But in the last few hours, rumors have been circulating about possible offers. But we invite you to take with a grain of salt: they are not yet official and may be incorrect.
- A basic subscription with 1Gbps download and 0.5Gbps upload at € 14.90 per month
- 5 Gbps/s in download e 1Gbps in upload a 1€ 9.90 per month
- 10Gbps in download e 2,5 in upload per 24.90 euros per month.
These would be the (really low) introductory rates, which they would then rise by 5 euros each after six months (arriving at still good prices but closer to standards). At the moment, however, it seems difficult to establish which agreements there are for streaming and which discounts for converging subscriptions.
All mysteries will be revealed on January 25, with the official announcement of Iliad fiber and services, rates and any other detail. We will keep you informed.