The French retailer Auchan will launch its own triple play offer with the so-called Auchan Box using the Numericable infrastructure. The chain, known for its 123 enormous hypermarkets across the country, will start selling the service in Paris on February 15, followed by a national rollout on February 24.
The Auchan box will have four types of subscription. The basic tier comprises broadband access and telephony only for €16.99; for €3 more, customers get unlimited calling to France and overseas territories. The cheapest triple play, including 117 television channels costs €24.99; the one with unlimited calls €27.99 – or €2 cheaper than its nearest competitor. In addition, people can buy a 160 GB PVR for €99.
Auchan follows in the footsteps of the retail chain Darty, who also has a similar product (the Darty box) on the Numericable infrastructure. However, Auchan is no newcomer to the telecoms market. Since 2006, the retailer has also acted as the third largest mobile virtual operator, with over 300,000 active customers.
