Bouygues' new BBox WiFi 7 competes with the Freebox Ultra

© Bouygues Telecom

The high-end internet box market is coming to life at the start of 2024. After Free and its Freebox Ultra, it is Bouygues Telecom's turn to unveil its new premium box. Today, the operator is unveiling its Bbox WiFi 7, a new-generation router that focuses on power and innovation to appeal to technophiles. This new box will be available from January 27, 2024, at 51.99 euros per month.

A WiFi 7 certified box that sees further than the competition

Bouygues Telecom can boast a major first: its new Bbox is officially WiFi 7 certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance. A strong argument against the Freebox Ultra which, although WiFi 7 compatible, has not received this certification. This new standard promises theoretical speeds of up to 46 Gbps, almost five times more than WiFi 6.

The antenna layout has been given special attention. The box has four antennas per frequency band, strategically positioned on the upper part to optimize coverage. The router fully exploits the three available frequency bands: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz. To complete this network coverage, Bouygues includes two tri-band WiFi 7 repeaters in its offer.

A bold design that breaks with the codes

Gone is the vertical tower of the old generation, the new Bbox adopts an original design that takes the shape of the Bouygues Telecom logo. At the front, a touch screen allows you to control the main functions of the box. The touch interface completely replaces physical buttons, for a sleek design.

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© Bouygues Telecom

L The back of the case is not left out with its ventilation grille composed of multiple perforations in the shape of the Bouygues logo. Beyond the aesthetic aspect, this design allows for efficient passive cooling, without a fan. The operator also highlights an eco-responsible and easily repairable design, in keeping with the times.

Cutting-edge performance, but some compromises

The new Bbox aligns with high-end standards with a symmetrical 8 Gbps fiber connection, i.e. identical upload and download speeds. A major development compared to the old model which was capped at 1 Gbps upload. This symmetry of flow rates will delight content creators and remote workers who need to send large files quickly.

On the connectivity side, Bouygues has made some choices that could disappoint some users. The box only offers three Ethernet ports: one 10G port and two 1G ports. This is less than the previous generation, which had five ports, and less than the competition, which generally offers a minimum of four ports. The operator justifies this choice by explaining that a tiny minority of its customers use more than three wired connections.

The new Bbox will be marketed at 51.99 euros per month, with a promotion at 44.99 euros for the first year. Bouygues mobile customers will be able to benefit from the promotional rate permanently. A slightly higher price positioning than the old generation, which reflects the new premium features of the box.

• The new Bbox is the first WiFi 7 certified router with a symmetrical 8 Gbps fiber connection
• It offers a design with touch screen and passive cooling2
• It will be available on January 27 at €51.99/month with two WiFi 7 repeaters included

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