Comments on: Xavier Niel, France’s Broadband Maverick http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/ Tracking the Internet Evolution Wed, 09 Jul 2008 06:33:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: Google Takes Its Broadband Show on the Road - GigaOM http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-886896 Google Takes Its Broadband Show on the Road - GigaOM Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:01:22 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-886896 [...] They point to a report in a French paper that says Google has teamed up with Illiad-owned ISP Free (Om loves these guys) and Bollore Group’s Bollore Telecom, which own licenses to the WiMax spectrum in France. [...] [...] They point to a report in a French paper that says Google has teamed up with Illiad-owned ISP Free (Om loves these guys) and Bollore Group’s Bollore Telecom, which own licenses to the WiMax spectrum in France. [...]

]]> By: andy http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-872966 andy Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:53:13 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-872966 <p>great info and nice offer from free.fr</p> great info and nice offer from free.fr

]]> By: At Cisco, Online Video Boom Helping Router Sales - GigaOM http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-868617 At Cisco, Online Video Boom Helping Router Sales - GigaOM Tue, 01 Apr 2008 05:43:19 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-868617 <p>[...] was first introduced in May 2004, and since then has been adopted by many large carriers including Free.fr, Comcast, British Telecom and [...]</p> [...] was first introduced in May 2004, and since then has been adopted by many large carriers including Free.fr, Comcast, British Telecom and [...]

]]> By: Comcast Cable CTO: Bandwidth Hogs Will Experience Slowdowns - GigaOM http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-868403 Comcast Cable CTO: Bandwidth Hogs Will Experience Slowdowns - GigaOM Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:28:31 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-868403 <p>[...] course, my views on broadband align with those of French broadband maverick Xavier Niel, who believes giving people more bandwidth — not getting in their way. Still, his view (and [...]</p> [...] course, my views on broadband align with those of French broadband maverick Xavier Niel, who believes giving people more bandwidth — not getting in their way. Still, his view (and [...]

]]> By: France Telecom’s Viaccess Makes IPTV Move, Buys Orca « NewTeeVee http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-865106 France Telecom’s Viaccess Makes IPTV Move, Buys Orca « NewTeeVee Mon, 10 Mar 2008 22:25:09 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-865106 <p>[...] the big kahuna in this space. For more, check out Om’s interview with Free.fr’s “broadband maverick,” Xavier [...]</p> [...] the big kahuna in this space. For more, check out Om’s interview with Free.fr’s “broadband maverick,” Xavier [...]

]]> By: thibaut http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-861540 thibaut Fri, 15 Feb 2008 03:45:38 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-861540 <p>Hello from another "Freenaut" since many years. All of my family and quite a few friends switched to Free, not less for the formidable and solid TV related services. The very competent use of open source technologies and total commitment to end user would make Google a good comparison for the Free spirit, even if they are totally different businesses.</p> Hello from another “Freenaut” since many years. All of my family and quite a few friends switched to Free, not less for the formidable and solid TV related services. The very competent use of open source technologies and total commitment to end user would make Google a good comparison for the Free spirit, even if they are totally different businesses.

]]> By: jasper http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-858620 jasper Mon, 28 Jan 2008 22:44:17 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-858620 <p>The ``half of the amsterdam internet exchange'' number is bullshit -- their connectivity is only 2*10Gbps, whereas the minimum bandwidth consumed over the total amsix is more than 100 Gbps (and almost 400 Gbps at peak times: http://www.ams-ix.net/technical/stats/ ). You do the math ;)</p> The “half of the amsterdam internet exchange” number is bullshit — their connectivity is only 2*10Gbps, whereas the minimum bandwidth consumed over the total amsix is more than 100 Gbps (and almost 400 Gbps at peak times: http://www.ams-ix.net/technical/stats/ ). You do the math ;)

]]> By: Damien http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-839406 Damien Wed, 09 Jan 2008 09:57:12 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-839406 <p>Really good paper (hi Rodrigo, hope you are well !!)- hope too that VOD really develops to use Free's bandwidth capacity ! VOD's still the graal; enough of stupid TV shows !</p> Really good paper (hi Rodrigo, hope you are well !!)- hope too that VOD really develops to use Free’s bandwidth capacity ! VOD’s still the graal; enough of stupid TV shows !

]]> By: Phil http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-836362 Phil Tue, 08 Jan 2008 14:15:33 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-836362 <p>I used free since october 2002 why ? At this date It was cheaper than others. Since this date it is the same thing always 29.99Euros per month with telephone, tv, radio, fax(send and receive), voice mail, internet of course. No more than 29.99Euros, for all others you have to pay for example 3Euros more for the rent of the box. Since 2002 free gives the rate and all others align with this value (more or less). Yes ! since 2002, I am happy with free. Your blog is nice, thanks !</p> <p>Phil</p> I used free since october 2002 why ?
At this date It was cheaper than others. Since this date it is the same thing always 29.99Euros per month with telephone, tv, radio, fax(send and receive), voice mail, internet of course. No more than 29.99Euros, for all others you have to pay for example 3Euros more for the rent of the box. Since 2002 free gives the rate and all others align with this value (more or less).
Yes ! since 2002, I am happy with free.
Your blog is nice, thanks !

Phil

]]> By: Velvetu http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-833177 Velvetu Mon, 07 Jan 2008 18:51:24 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-833177 <p>hello,</p> <p>I'm a free.fr user too, and... I love this ISP :D (and pleas forgive my poor english :)</p> <p>some points :</p> <ul> <li><p>just to give an order : I am at 1300 meters to the DSLAM and I have 17.5Mb/s down - 1 Mb/s up connection (this is theoric, but I really touch the theorical rates of my connection)</p></li> <li><p>other fonctionnalities not mentionned : The Box has a 40GB HD and is a ftp server (in my LAN) ==> if the TV channel permit, I can Record and transfert to my PC / I cant upload Divx to the box and read it. compatibility with freeplayer and open sourcecode for the PC side : a lot of softwares allow to hear/view/surf/control PC through my TV</p></li> <li><p>a huge list of free TV channels (for us French who had for a long time only 5 free hertzian TV channels, and recently 15 it is amazing not to pay for a set of channels through cable or satellite), and a huge list of pay channels, and some VOD channels</p></li> <li><p>Free.fr gives a free http / ftp site with SQL (I have to admit his time response is not so great for big sites) and up to 5GB space</p></li> <li><p>with dl.free.fr I can upload files up to 5GB and send the link to download it to anyone (and a site is in test to organize the sharing</p></li> <li><p>free has a friend : deezer.fr who provides free music (streaming only) : the biggest Ipod I know ;) And we hope some day it'll be on our TV through the box</p></li> </ul> <p>I am sure I forgot a lot of features ;)</p> <p>Velvetu</p> hello,

I’m a free.fr user too, and… I love this ISP :D
(and pleas forgive my poor english :)

some points :

  • just to give an order : I am at 1300 meters to the DSLAM and I have 17.5Mb/s down - 1 Mb/s up connection (this is theoric, but I really touch the theorical rates of my connection)

  • other fonctionnalities not mentionned : The Box has a 40GB HD and is a ftp server (in my LAN) ==> if the TV channel permit, I can Record and transfert to my PC / I cant upload Divx to the box and read it.
    compatibility with freeplayer and open sourcecode for the PC side : a lot of softwares allow to hear/view/surf/control PC through my TV

  • a huge list of free TV channels (for us French who had for a long time only 5 free hertzian TV channels, and recently 15 it is amazing not to pay for a set of channels through cable or satellite), and a huge list of pay channels, and some VOD channels

  • Free.fr gives a free http / ftp site with SQL (I have to admit his time response is not so great for big sites) and up to 5GB space

  • with dl.free.fr I can upload files up to 5GB and send the link to download it to anyone (and a site is in test to organize the sharing

  • free has a friend : deezer.fr who provides free music (streaming only) : the biggest Ipod I know ;) And we hope some day it’ll be on our TV through the box

I am sure I forgot a lot of features ;)

Velvetu

]]> By: Lettres ouvertes aux lecteurs » Blog Archive http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-833076 Lettres ouvertes aux lecteurs » Blog Archive Mon, 07 Jan 2008 18:34:11 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-833076 <p>[...] Et oui, notre FAI chérie est une star dans le monde entire, lire l’article (en anglais) ici, ça vaut le détour: http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/ [...]</p> [...] Et oui, notre FAI chérie est une star dans le monde entire, lire l’article (en anglais) ici, ça vaut le détour: http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/ [...]

]]> By: Exosud http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-831973 Exosud Mon, 07 Jan 2008 13:17:39 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-831973 <p>Hello! I'm Claude from France..... Sure free.fr is truly a pioneer !</p> <p>I'm a happy Free.fr user :)</p> Hello! I’m Claude from France…..
Sure free.fr is truly a pioneer !

I’m a happy Free.fr user :)

]]> By: Guillaume R. http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-831764 Guillaume R. Mon, 07 Jan 2008 10:52:12 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-831764 <p>Thanks to Xavier Niel, we have an affordable DSL offer in France.</p> <p>I am one of the first 10000 Free.fr dsl customers.</p> <p>Ok, the six last years were not a huge dream on a technical point of view, my dsl line is 3800 meters long so my line is slow, but Free's teams are skilled and available to solve the issues : I am now able to watch IP TV without flaw.</p> <p>Even if the product is cheap, Free has solved all my issues quickly.</p> <p>The Free added value : we have an improving offer, let's say every 6 months, we get an extra feature for no extra cost. And the Free's challengers offer the same feature with 6 months late.</p> <p>I really hope Mr Niel is going to keep up "our" french Free success story. I hope the French government will support Niel to wake up the mobile phone market which is so expensive with a dying technical offer : nothing new since 1999.</p> Thanks to Xavier Niel, we have an affordable DSL offer in France.

I am one of the first 10000 Free.fr dsl customers.

Ok, the six last years were not a huge dream on a technical point of view, my dsl line is 3800 meters long so my line is slow, but Free’s teams are skilled and available to solve the issues : I am now able to watch IP TV without flaw.

Even if the product is cheap, Free has solved all my issues quickly.

The Free added value : we have an improving offer, let’s say every 6 months, we get an extra feature for no extra cost. And the Free’s challengers offer the same feature with 6 months late.

I really hope Mr Niel is going to keep up “our” french Free success story. I hope the French government will support Niel to wake up the mobile phone market which is so expensive with a dying technical offer : nothing new since 1999.

]]> By: Greg http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-831757 Greg Mon, 07 Jan 2008 10:41:14 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-831757 <p>Hi, I'm also in the free community since years now. And I think that the most important in the success of free is the pionner spirit of his leaders, that has to remain in the futur if they want to keep their customer. I mean, I don't think it's natural to be proud being a customer of a telco, but free make this difference, that all his customer will recommand it to friends, familly, because it is a pionner, and is now the reason why internet is cheaper and more performant, and widespread in france.</p> <p>Greg (who paid once 45€ for a 512/64 kb years ago...)</p> Hi,
I’m also in the free community since years now. And I think that the most important in the success of free is the pionner spirit of his leaders, that has to remain in the futur if they want to keep their customer.
I mean, I don’t think it’s natural to be proud being a customer of a telco, but free make this difference, that all his customer will recommand it to friends, familly, because it is a pionner, and is now the reason why internet is cheaper and more performant, and widespread in france.

Greg
(who paid once 45€ for a 512/64 kb years ago…)

]]> By: Jess http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-831655 Jess Mon, 07 Jan 2008 09:00:42 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-831655 <p>Well!</p> <p>I am a Free customer for one year now and I must add a thing : Freebox and all Free backbones ( as for all other ISP anyway ) run Linux and are fully compatible witn Windows, MacOS and Linux computers. Even Freeplayer !</p> <p>Thank you Free ! :)</p> Well!

I am a Free customer for one year now and I must add a thing : Freebox and all Free backbones ( as for all other ISP anyway ) run Linux and are fully compatible witn Windows, MacOS and Linux computers. Even Freeplayer !

Thank you Free ! :)

]]> By: Frédéric http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-831599 Frédéric Mon, 07 Jan 2008 07:42:01 +0000 http://gigaom.com/2007/12/21/xavier-niel-free-fr/#comment-831599 <p>And we get also a 40 Go hard drive on the tv modem we can use a FTP protocol to get back on the computer all the vidéo, we also get a "multipostes" tv that's mean on the home tv a High and HD tv, and on each computer in the same time you can see another chanel with a soft like ADSL TV( for me, 4 children, often, 5 différents channel in the same time), and a fantastic thing: freeplayer: a soft that allow me to see on tv all the content of my computer (photos, movies, ...) and I live in a small town in teh south east of France near Marseille. An Happy customer :-))))</p> And we get also a 40 Go hard drive on the tv modem we can use a FTP protocol to get back on the computer all the vidéo, we also get a “multipostes” tv that’s mean on the home tv a High and HD tv, and on each computer in the same time you can see another chanel with a soft like ADSL TV( for me, 4 children, often, 5 différents channel in the same time), and a fantastic thing: freeplayer: a soft that allow me to see on tv all the content of my computer (photos, movies, …) and I live in a small town in teh south east of France near Marseille. An Happy customer :-))))

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