SoftAtHome powers Orange’s smartphone-based broadband backup
October 13, 2026 10.53 Europe/London By Julian Clover


Orange has launched Reconnexion Flash in France, using SoftAtHome’s Always’ON software to connect a household’s Livebox to a customer’s smartphone hotspot during a fibre outage.

The service is available on the Livebox 7 Wi-Fi 7 and Livebox S, with Orange activating it remotely. It allows devices connected to the gateway by Wi-Fi or Ethernet to access the mobile connection without individual reconfiguration or additional backup hardware.

When an outage is detected, the Livebox displays a QR code linking to a web tutorial. Customers are guided through enabling their smartphone hotspot and setting the password supplied by the Livebox. The gateway then detects the nearby smartphone and connects automatically, without requiring the customer to select a network name.

The setup requires no mobile app, VPN or dedicated server. Once fibre service is restored, the Livebox automatically returns traffic to the fixed connection and closes the mobile link.

Streaming video apps and other internet services can operate over the backup connection. However, services tied to Orange’s fixed network, including the Livebox landline phone and Orange’s multicast television channels, remain unavailable until the fibre connection is restored.

Laurence Thouveny, Orange’s Customer Experience EVP, said Reconnexion Flash gives customers a fast, autonomous way to maintain internet access during an outage, supporting the operator’s efforts to improve network resilience and customer experience.

SoftAtHome CEO Arnaud Bellivier de Prin said broadband outages are a critical moment in customers’ assessment of their operator. He added that Always’ON is designed to work across different gateway software environments, including prpl.