Orange, one of Europe’s biggest telcos, has introduced satellite broadband to its customers in mainland France. Called “Orange Satellite with Nordnet,” this service is aimed at customers who are not eligible for fiber and have ADSL speeds of less than 8 Mbps. It is marketed through Orange distribution channels and operated by Nordnet, a Group company specializing in satellite Internet.

With this new offer, Orange is providing customers with broadband speeds of up to 200 Mbps downstream and 15 Mbps upstream. After subscribing, customers will receive a satellite kit that they can install themselves or with the assistance of Nordnet and its network of specialist installation partners. The satellite kit can be purchased for 299 euros or rented for eight euros a month.

This offer is based on the Eutelsat Konnect VHTS satellite, which went into service in October. It is part of the French government’s Cohésion Numérique des Territoires (Digital Cohesion of Regions) program, which aims to ensure that all households have access to superfast broadband (greater than 30 Mbps) by 2025. Homes without good wired broadband can benefit from a subsidy.

Jean-François Fallacher, executive vice president and CEO of Orange France, stated, “The launch of Orange Satellite with Nordnet is another step towards the deployment of superfast broadband for everyone, everywhere in mainland France. Orange is proud to be able to offer all customers a superfast broadband access solution thanks to technology mix. Our range of connectivity offers now includes satellite, in addition to 4G and 5G Home, fiber, and ADSL. This new offer responds to the needs of the French population, whatever their connectivity requirements, even in the most remote areas.”