Salt enters the fixed-network business and challenges the competition with a competitive price

Salt announced Tuesday's event at Depot-B in Berne as a true "revolution" on the Swiss telecommunications market. The packed hall obviously included many Salt employees or representatives of other partners - the innovations presented and the speakers were frenetically cheered.

The big revolution did not happen. But the promises made by Salt were not empty. The telecom provider, which has been repeatedly put on the defensive in the past and often declared dead (or at least taken over by the competition), could achieve a long-awaited liberation with the new products presented. Because in summary, a) the technology is good and this b) is almost unrivaled in terms of price. Salt enters a new market and presents a competitive offer, which should also become an option for previously Salt-critical consumers. Not least thanks to partners like Apple or Zattoo.

European speed premiere

For example, Salt is the first European provider to offer a router that reaches 10 Gbit/s when it enters the fixed-network market. Symmetrically, that is, for both upload and download. On paper, this is ten times faster than the current fastest competitors and 400 times faster than the average connection in a Swiss household. For the time being, however, it remains unclear why this almost utopian speed is needed, or rather why it could be needed. Ralf Beyeler from the comparison portal Moneyland.ch has a similar view: "In the rarest cases, the server on the other side is fast enough. The fastest offers to date of 1 Gbit/s are quite sufficient even for customers who want very fast Internet".

Design router

The device was conceived, designed and created by Swiss designer Alfredo Häberli. Yannik Oberson, Salt's National Director Direct Channel, explained to the audience why so much emphasis was placed on the appearance, flashing various routers on the screen - including those of the direct competition: "Not really sexy... nobody puts a thing like that anywhere where it can be seen!" And Salt CEO Andreas Schönenberger says: "We are convinced that a successful design contributes significantly to the broadband experience."

In the end, the customers will have to decide how sexy the Salt Router has become - if this point is really so relevant. However, the device is definitely an eye-catcher.

Apple TV replaces Set Top Box

Instead of developing its own TV box, Salt is working with Apple and using Apple TV for its TV service via app. This is a good idea, considering the competitors' hardware, some of which is getting on in years and has repeatedly caused customer dissatisfaction from the start. Apple TV is a leader in terms of UX and offers hardware and software that enable smooth, fast and intuitive operation. In other words, exactly what most customers want. And what they miss with the current set top boxes. Moreover, with this solution, no separate TV box is needed. Apple TV is already installed under the TV set in many Swiss households and can thus be used for all TV applications.

Salt is the first provider worldwide to offer Apple TV as a set-top box. Customers of Swisscom or UPC, for example, are still waiting in vain for their own Apple TV app, which would (finally) make the respective, technically inferior box superfluous. The reason for this should be obvious: By integrating it into Apple TV, the providers would give up control over the sofa at home - including the associated, lucrative video-on-demand functions. By contrast, all providers have been offering apps for other iOS-enabled devices (iPad, iPhone) for some time. So people would have been very familiar with Apple's operating system for a long time.

Of course, the question then arises as to why you should use Salt TV if you already own Apple TV and can install the apps from Zattoo, Teleboy & Co. on it. Their offers can also be used with all other devices. And they are even free in the basic versions.

Salt is therefore working with Zattoo and drawing on the TV streaming pioneer's technology experience. Salt's video offering was also developed with technical support from Hollystar and in collaboration with Sky. Combined with cooperations with Sky and Canal+, this should create an attractive overall package for customers.

Combat price

Especially because of the price: For 49.95 Swiss francs per month, customers get 10Gbit/s Internet, 300 TV channels and flat-rate fixed-network telephony. A competitive price. Existing Salt Mobile customers with a flat-rate subscription even pay just 39 francs. In terms of price, the competition looks old by comparison. At the same time, Salt is currently offering its "Smart Swiss" promotion for new mobile customers, in which the phone and 4G flat rate costs only 24.95 francs (instead of 59.-) per month for 24 months. For just under 65 francs, you can get everything from Salt - unlimited and at maximum speed. Provided you can live with what is still the most spotty mobile coverage in Switzerland.

And that's assuming you're connected to the fiber-optic network. And that's only 13 percent of the Swiss population. In the larger metropolitan areas. Salt's new full-range offering will be available in more than 30 cities and regions from the start. Considering that a fiber-optic connection is required to benefit from the advertised advantages, this figure was presented surprisingly long and prominently on Tuesday. The reason why many Swiss households are so slow on the move is not a lack of will, but a lack of infrastructure. And Salt's offer does nothing to change that.

However, things got really revolutionary at the end of the presentation - namely when the goodie bags were distributed for the visitors. Inside was nothing less than an Apple TV of the latest, fifth 4K generation. (hae)