It happened at Free and in telecoms: Free brings a new definition to television, SFR is no longer immobile

As every week, we offer you our column "It happened at Free and in the telecoms..." This one invites you to dive back into the events that made the news of the week in course, but during the previous years, decades, even centuries. These events will concern Free of course, but more broadly telecoms and digital. Memories memories …

December 14, 2004: Free launches HD TV via ADSL

A world premiere! On December 14, 2004, Free announced the broadcasting of two channels in high definition via its new ADSL 2+ network. This broadcast was carried out in partnership with France Télévisions, on two channels, with programs from the group's channels.

A show of force for the Free network at the time, which wanted to market TV in HD in the future, once high definition was offered by enough channels.

December 15, 1992: SFR opens the second GSM network in France

It is the arrival of the second operator after France Telecom on the mobile phone market. Although the mobile telephone market is still reserved for a niche audience, December 15, 1992 marks the first steps of an operator other than France Telecom in this field, named SFR. Bouygues Telecom will follow, two years later.

Mobile telephony will take several years to settle in the pockets of the French. If for two years, Itinéris and SFR competed in communication operations to garner subscribers, it was shortly before the arrival of a third operator that the first general public package landed, named “Déclic” and launched by France Telecom. To give you an idea, two years after the launch of the SFR network, the number of subscribers in France was then 280,000.

The opportunity to show you one of the first French GSM telephones: the Alcatel 9109 HA!

December 15, 2020: Free Mobile launches its 5G, at no additional cost

If Free was not the first, it was the least penniless! Xavier Niel's operator was indeed the only one to offer 5G at no additional cost in its €19.99 offer. For the occasion, the data envelope of this package has also been revised upwards, from 100 to 150 GB per month.

In addition to the sale of packages, the operator also struck very hard by announcing from the outset that it had the most extensive 5G network in France. A feat achievable thanks to the use of 700MHz frequencies, already used for 4G, allowing it at the time to cover 40% of the population as soon as the network was activated. Free is not resting on its laurels, however, since it covers, a year later, more than 72% of the population in 5G. For the occasion, the founder of Free had also wet the shirt but also pushed the song.

December 16, 1997: Creation of Neuf (known as 9 Telecom)

The Internet service provider was born on December 16, 1997, at the instigation of the Bouygues group. Its first commercial double play offer was launched in 2002, under the simple name of “Tout9”, and at the time offered Internet access (up to 8 Mbit/s) and IP telephony. For triple-play, we will have to wait for the Neufbox Trio3C, in 2004, with the integration of ADSL2+ and the support of a NeufTV decoder. The operator provided ADSL for 4.4 million subscribers in 2007 before being acquired by SFR the following year.

18 December 2009: Free mobile obtains the 3G license

Free mobile is the fourth operator to obtain this license at the end of 2009. When its acquisition was announced on 18 December 2009, Iliad already sees in this license the opportunity to become a “major player” in the field and to “liberate the use of mobile for the benefit of the consumer“.

December 17, 2019: Netflix finally arrives on Freebox Révolution

Finally! After arriving at the beginning of December on the Freebox mini 4K, subscribers with the emblematic Free box were able, from December 17, 2019, to access the largest SVOD platform directly on their player. The operator also took the opportunity to launch an option to integrate the cost of the subscription directly into the Freebox invoice.