Free Mobile Breaks Promise Made by Xavier Niel by Increasing Price of €2 Boosted Plan

“When I make a promise, I keep it”. In a video published in January 2022, Xavier Niel, then disguised as the President of the Republic, looked back on Free Mobile's results over 10 years. “ I have kept the price of mobile plans unchanged. No other operator can claim such a record », laughed the boss of Free, before making a new promise. “ I promise you again not to increase the packages to 2 euros or those to 19.99”, concluded Xavier Niel, comparing his leadership of Free to a five-year presidential term. Until 2027, prices will not change.

Free increases its Booster option, without repercussions on old subscribers

For several months, Free has been regularly upgrading its Booster option. Its price has always remained at 2.99 euros per month, but sometimes with 1 GB of Internet, sometimes with 5 GB of Internet. You just need to subscribe at the right time to benefit from the most advantageous offer, since the Booster option only concerns new customers.

Since May 6, 2024, the Booster option at 2.99 euros no longer exists. It is replaced by a “Booster 20 GB” plan at 4.99 euros per month, with 20 GB of 4G Internet in France and 10 GB in Europe. It's more generous, but with a mandatory price increase. Some customers, who consume very little Internet, have no interest in upgrading to 20 GB of data.

Note that Free does not affect old offers, which means that people with a Booster at 2.99 euros per month will not automatically switch to the more expensive booster. Whatever the case, Xavier Niel was committed to “ do not increase the packages to 2 euros or those to 19.99 “. Even if he did not specify anything about the booster option, it is an option highlighted with the €2 package. We can therefore see a hidden price increase, at least for people who want Internet in the most affordable Free offer.

What do Free's competitors offer for the same price?

Free's €2 package, launched in 2012, is limited to 50 MB of Internet. Enough to receive around ten emails every month, at most. It is also limited to two hours of calls per month, whereas the norm is rather unlimited. Freebox subscribers can subscribe for free if they wish to have a secondary SIM.

With the new option BoosterFree allows you to unlock the unlimited callsto move on to 20 GB Internet in France (4G) and 10 GB of the Internet in Europe. The total cost of the package then increases to 6.99 euros per month or to 4.99 euros per month for Freebox subscribers.

• SFR (Red) and Bouygues do better with 11 GB or 16 GB of Internet in Europe,
• Orange (Sosh) is the worst off with 10 GB of Internet in France at the same price.

On the other hand, the Free offer has no equivalent for Freebox subscribers, who save 2 euros every month.

With its new Booster option, Free continues to titillate the entry-level market. The operator also regularly updates its special “Free Series” package, valid for one year, which offers a 140 GB data envelope in 4G in May 2024. Only the Free 5G package, with 250 GB of data (or unlimited for Freebox subscribers), has never changed price (19.99 euros or 9.99 euros for Freebox subscribers). To see if Free will maintain this increase in the future or if it will return, to keep its promise, to the original €2 boosted package.

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