ILIAD : Freebox Revolution: 1 Gbps with FTTH

PRESS RELEASE

Paris, October 1, 2013

Free revolutionizes the ultra-fast broadband market by offering its Freebox Revolution subscribers the fastest fiber-optic broadband speed in Europe

at no extra cost

Free has once again revolutionized internet access in France by increasing fiber-optic broadband speeds for its Freebox Revolution subscribers to 1 Gbps download and

200 Mbps upload, at no extra cost.

As a result of this increase, Free's eligible subscribers will have access to the fastest speeds in Europe for a retail broadband offering.
The faster speeds will be automatically available for all Freebox Revolution subscribers connected to the fiber-optic network as well as for new subscribers eligible for the offering.

Forget the concept of "speeds of up to". With Free, each eligible fiber subscriber will have a dedicated speed of 1 Gbps download (and 200 Mbps upload). This is because Free's FTTH (Fiber To The Home) network is based on point-to-point technology which means that it can offer very high speeds that are dedicated to each subscriber and can be easily upgraded. The other fiber operators in France have opted for a GPON (Gigabit Passive Optical Network) architecture whereby speeds are shared between homes, and the cable operators' networks are only partly fiber-optic (the rest being coaxial), which means they cannot offer such high dedicated speeds as their technology is similar to DSL technologies.

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In addition, in unbundled areas, Free offers its subscribers the fastest ADSL2+ and VDSL2 speeds available depending on their eligibility.
VDSL2 enables subscribers with very short lines to have access to the following speeds:

Average theoretical VDSL2 speeds observed in laboratory-based line tests.

VDSL2 speed ranges observed in laboratory-based line tests.

Free stands out from the other operators in the market in that it offers its unbundled subscribers the fastest transmission speeds that their telephone lines allow. This is because its network equipment (DSLAMs) has been designed to simultaneously handle ADSL2+ and VDSL2 technologies, which means that each subscriber can be offered the best speeds available based on the characteristics of the line.
Once again, Free has made this technological innovation available to all of its eligible subscribers, at no extra cost and with automatic effect (i.e. without having to submit a request to Free).
With the Freebox Revolution - which is VDSL2 and FTTH compatible - Free currently has the largest installed base of boxes that are compatible with ultra-fast broadband.

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Access to ultra-fast broadband will be further enhanced and extended as Free continues to roll out its FTTH network.
Free has been closely involved in the development of high-speed and ultra-fast broadband in France since 2002, constantly offering its subscribers faster speeds and making technological innovations widely accessible thanks to the high quality offerings it proposes at very attractive prices.

See free.fr for terms and conditions of the offerings and a line eligibility test.

Free is the inventor of the Freebox, the first multiservice box on ADSL. Free is behind numerous innovations in the broadband access segment (VoIP, IPTV, flat-rate calling plans to multiple destinations, etc.). Free provides straightforward and innovative offerings at the best prices. At the end of 2010, Free introduced the Freebox Revolution, the 6th generation of Freebox units that notably includes an NAS and a Blu-RayTM drive. Free was the first French operator to include calls from landlines to mobile phones in its offerings and also calls to French

Overseas Departments (DOM). Since January 2012, Free has brought mobile phone usage within everyone's reach with straightforward no-contract offerings at unbeatable prices. Free has over 5.5 million broadband subscribers and 6.8 million mobile subscribers (as at June 30, 2013)

Fiber optic offer subject to conditions. Available to subscribers who have a Freebox Revolution, in eligible areas and subject to technical compatibility. Also requires a fiber-optic connection in the subscriber's home. Speed of

1 Gbps available for subscribers in bridge mode (see subscriber console). VDSL: Very high-speed Digital Subscriber Line.

VDSL2 offer subject to conditions. Available in unbundled areas to subscribers who have a Freebox Revolution,

subject to line eligibility. VDSL2 is gradually being rolled out to all telephone exchanges located in unbundled areas. See free.fr for a list of eligible exchanges. Eligible lines: all telephone lines attached to exchanges that that have undergone a "network overhaul" (i.e. exchanges that came into service after January 1, 2005) and only "direct supply" lines attached to other exchanges (i.e. exchanges that came into service before January 1, 2005).

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