SoftAtHome powers Orange service to keep French homes online during outages

SoftAtHome is providing technology that helps keep home internet connections working in France when fiber lines briefly fail. The approach uses the customer’s own smartphone as a backup network automatically, so most devices stay online without the user needing to do anything. The change affects Orange customers in France who use the Livebox router and fiber service.

What changed

Orange announced a new feature called Reconnexion Flash, powered by SoftAtHome’s Always’ON technology. When a fiber connection goes down (due to a cut or routine maintenance), the Livebox router automatically connects to the owner’s smartphone hotspot and maintains the home network without manual setup or extra hardware. This lets laptops, tablets, and other devices remain online as the network re-routes traffic through the phone’s hotspot.

Key facts you should know

• Technology: Always’ON software from SoftAtHome embedded in the Livebox router.
• Action: Automatic switch to the user’s smartphone hotspot during fiber outages.
• Impact: Minimal disruption for households; no extra equipment or manual switching required.
• Scope: Applies to Orange’s French fiber customers using the Livebox hardware.
• Alternatives: Previously, homes might have needed a dedicated backup 4G dongle or mobile router.

Who is affected

Households in France that use Orange’s fiber service with the Livebox router are the intended beneficiaries. The feature is designed to keep the home network online, rather than requiring users to reconnect devices or change network settings during outages.

Practical next steps

If you are an Orange fiber customer in France and want to know if you have Always’ON enabled, check your router settings or contact Orange support. Ensure your smartphone has an active data plan and is within range since the backup network uses the phone’s hotspot. There is no extra app or hardware needed for this feature, but you may want to monitor how long outages typically last in your area and consider your data usage if outages are frequent.

Limits and questions

Key questions include how data usage on the hotspot is counted (it uses your phone’s data plan) and what happens if the phone runs out of battery or has a weak cellular signal. The article notes this mechanism as a seamless fallback, but it does not specify detailed limits or performance metrics for different devices in the home. Users should verify with Orange whether there are any caveats for their specific plan or router model.

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