Orange is perhaps most famous as a mobile phone network, and appears to be a relative newcomer to the broadband industry, but it has actually had roots in the broadband market for some time. Orange is the commercial brand name for France Telecom, which was behind the internet service provider Freeserve when broadband first became popular. Freeserve was re-branded in 2005 as Wanadoo and then re-branded again in 2006 as Orange.
France Telecom is considered one of the leaders in telecommunications worldwide and its choice to use the Orange name for its broadband services appears to be a signal of its intent. Orange is the name used for its mobile and television services too - and the company is already overlapping its services to offer better deals.
Who is Orange broadband ideal for?
Anyone who wishes to merge their phone and broadband services from a big-name provider with a strong reputation for reliability will enjoy the Orange broadband product range. The Orange Livebox is one of the best wireless modems on the market with the ability to connect up to six PCs.
What do you need?
- A home phone line (but not a cable or a phone line from Kingston Communications).
- A PC with a CD-ROM drive.
- A USB modem or wireless device - note that all Orange packages come with a wireless modem or Orange Livebox.
- An Ethernet port.
- Windows 2000 or above; Mac customers need Apple Mac OS X.
What else does Orange have to offer?
Each Orange broadband package includes free webmail and up to 150Mb of webspace. There is also expert technical support available from 7am-11pm and a free McAfee privacy service is included.
The most notable bonus with the Orange broadband packages however, is the free wireless modem on the Home Starter deal and the Orange Livebox that is included on both Home Select and Home Max. The Orange Livebox can be used to make calls via the internet simply by being plugged into a normal phone line - with inclusive calls to 01 and 02 landlines and select international destinations. It can also be used to play video games against online opponents.
The Orange Livebox is at the cutting edge of wireless technology and turns what are already good, competitive packages into excellent deals.
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