Free (ISP)

Infobox Company
name = Free

type = SAS
genre =
foundation = 1999
founder = Xavier Niel
location_city = flagicon|France Paris
location_country = France
location =
locations =
area_served = France
key_people = Xavier Niel, Maxime Lombardini, Rani Assaf, Antoine Levavasseur, Thomas Reynaud
industry = Telecommunications
products = ISP
* 1999 : Voiceband
* 2002 : ADSL
* 2004 : ADSL2+
* 2007 : FTTH
services = Quadruple play
* 1999 : Internet
* 2003 : VoIP, IPTV
* 2006 : Mobile VoIP
key-dates =
revenue = 1,212 million EUR (2007) profit +29.7% Cite press release | title= 2007 Results: Press Release | url= http://www.iliad.fr/en/finances/2008/CP_120308_Eng.pdf | publisher = Iliad | format = PDF | date=2008-03-12 | accessdate=2008-03-16 | language=English]
operating_income =
net_income = 150.2 million EUR (2007) profit +24.4%
owner = Iliad
num_employees = 2275 (2007) Cite press release | title= 2007 Results: Management Report and Analysis | url= http://www.iliad.fr/en/finances/2008/Rapport_Gestion_2007_Eng.pdf | publisher = Iliad | format = PDF | date=2008-03-12 | accessdate=2008-03-16 | language=English]
parent =
divisions =
subsid =
slogan = "Free, 29 euros 99, undoubtedly the best offer in a long time"
homepage = [http://www.free.fr www.free.fr]
footnotes =
intl =

Free is a French ISP, which is a subsidiary of Iliad. It operates in France.

It was the first company to offer a Triple play service in FranceCite press release | title= Free launches unlimited broadband Internet at dial-up prices | url= http://www.iliad.fr/en/presse/2002/CP_Free_190902.pdf | publisher = Iliad | format = PDF | date=2002-09-19 | accessdate=2008-03-16 | language=French] Cite press release | title= Free introduces free telephone calls | url= http://www.iliad.fr/en/presse/2003/cp_freeboxtel_310703.pdf | publisher = Iliad | format = PDF | date=2003-07-31 | accessdate=2008-03-16 | language=French] Cite press release | title= Free launches digital television | url= http://www.iliad.fr/en/presse/2003/CP_Free_271103.pdf | publisher = Iliad | format = PDF | date=2003-11-27 | accessdate=2008-03-16 | language=French] , through its self-produced singular Freebox set-top box. It claims to be the first company to have invented the "box" marketing concept in France Cite press release | title=New HD Freebox Released | url=http://www.iliad.fr/en/presse/2006/CP_190406_Eng.pdf | publisher = Iliad | format=PDF | date=2006-04-19 | accessdate=2008-03-16 | language=English] , in reference to all the other french ISP which thereafter released Triple play modems named to include the English word "box". These "boxes" provide comprehensive telecommunication services such as high-speed internet, telephone and digital television packages. In 2007 - a consolidation year in the French broadband market - Free was the only ISP brand to gain market share Cite press release | title= 2007 Results: Slide Show | url= http://www.iliad.fr/en/finances/2008/ILIAD_RA_2007.pdf | publisher = Iliad | format = PDF | date=2008-03-12 | accessdate=2008-03-16 | language=English] .

History

Voiceband

Free was the third ISP in France to offer access to the Internet without subscription nor surcharged phone number in February 1999 Cite web | title= Internet gratuit : Free, un indépendant sur le marché de la fourniture d'accès | url= http://www.journaldunet.com/99avril/990427free.shtml | date=1999-04-27 | accessdate=2008-03-20 | language=French] . Its predecessors in the niche of access without subscription were World Online on 1999-04-01, then Freesurf on 1999-04-19. In 2002, Free was the first ISP to provide a V.92 connection Cite press release | title= Free, accès en V92 | url= http://www.iliad.fr/en/presse/2002/CP_Free_270202.pdf | publisher = Iliad | format = PDF | date=2002-02-27 | accessdate=2008-02-10 | language=French] .

Fiber to the home

* Free has the lowest churn rate amongst french Broadband providers, below 1% per month Cite press release | title= 3Q 2007 Revenues | url= http://www.iliad.fr/en/finances/2007/CP_291007_Eng.pdf | publisher = Iliad | format = PDF | date=2007-10-29 | accessdate=2008-02-10 | language=English] .
* Iliad targets 4 million Broadband (ADSL and FTTH) subscribers by 2010 and an unbundling ratio of 85% .

Profitability

Free claims to be the first profitable ISP in France and to have the lowest subscriber acquisition cost amongst French operators.

The unbundling ratio is one of the key strategic figures:
* Free has QoS control on unbundled lines since these are connected to Free own DSLAMs instead of France Télécom DSLAMs;
* bundled lines generates expensive bandwidth fees paid to the incumbent France Télécom;
* TV multicast is not provided by France Télécom DSLAMs.

Because of bandwidth cost, only a subset of the TV services is offered to bundled subscribers; while unbundled subscribers can access value-added services such as VOD and Subscription VOD. Revenues of those services are constantly increasing .

In 2007, Free had the greatest EBITDA margin of the sector in Europe; was the only actor to gain market share in France and had a debt ratio 10 times lower than the industry average. Thanks to these assets, the initial FTTH deployment (targeted at 2012) will be entirely self-financed by existing activities .

Criticism

Culture

Company

Community

See also

External links

Notes and references