2024 IFA highlights: fiber optic innovations, 5G, WiFi 7, Mesh WiFi and Smart Home

AVM is expanding its FRITZ!Box portfolio and offering users a wide range of products for fast fiber optic internet. The FRITZ!Box 5690 is making its debut. Users can connect this new model directly to the fiber optic connection (GPON/AON) and start surfing straight away – without having to think about the connection technology. The FRITZ!Box 5690 integrates all the technology in one box, saving significant energy. With two 2.5 Gbit/s and two 1 Gbit/s LAN connections, it offers maximum versatility for wired home networking. The FRITZ!Box 5690 XGS is also ready to go right out of the box and supports fast 10-gigabit connections on XGS-PON networks. The 10 Gbit/s LAN and four 1 Gbit/s LAN ports ensure users can make the most out of fiber optic speeds throughout the home. Both models come with powerful dual-band WiFi 7 capabilities. The FRITZ!Box 5690 XGS has a 4x4 configuration and achieves data rates of up to 7.1 Gbit/s. Meanwhile, the FRITZ!Box 5690 model has four antennas for the 5 GHz band and two for the 2.4 GHz band, enabling data rates of up to 6.4 Gbit/s. The extensive features for which FRITZ!Box is known, including telephony, WiFi, Mesh WiFi, VPN, Smart Home via DECT ULE, and network support, make these two fiber optic gateways the ideal choice for the modern digital home. AVM is also introducing the FRITZ!Box 4690, a new WiFi router that can be easily connected to an existing modem to offer the full FRITZ! experience on any type of connection, including fiber. The FRITZ!Box 4690 shares the full fiber optic bandwidth of up to 10 Gbit/s via its 10 Gbit/s WAN port, a 10 Gbit/s LAN port, and three 2.5 Gbit/s LAN ports for fast speeds across the entire home network. This wireless router supports WiFi 7 and WiFi 6 and achieves speeds of up to 6.9 Gbit/s in dual-band mode. Naturally, the FRITZ!Box 4690 offers other popular FRITZ! features such as Mesh WiFi, a convenient telephone system, VPN, WiFi guest access, a firewall, and a USB port to connect storage media or 5G/4G dongles for mobile internet. The DECT ULE wireless communication standard enables a wide range of smart home features for heating, energy efficiency, and lighting. The top model is already available to buy – the FRITZ!Box 5690 Pro – rounding off the AVM fiber optic portfolio nicely. With two integrated modems for fiber optics and DSL, it offers users maximum flexibility while awaiting the rollout of fiber optic internet in their area, alongside fast tri-band WiFi thanks to the new 6 GHz band. Integrated Zigbee and Matter support open up many more possibilities in the smart home.

The new FRITZ!Box 6860 5G offers fast and reliable internet via 5G. As a fixed wireless-access solution, it supports both 5G (NSA, SA) and LTE and achieves data rates of up to 1.3 gigabits per second. With powerful Mesh WiFi based on the WiFi 6 standard, it provides wireless data coverage at speeds of up to 3 Gbit/s throughout the home. Its integrated DECT base station for telephone support and Smart Home features. It also supports Voice over LTE and Voice over New Radio. The compact design combined with both power and data via Power over Ethernet means the FRITZ!Box 6860 5G can be placed almost anywhere in the home: on the wall, by the window, or even outdoors.

AVM is showcasing two new dual-band Wi-Fi FRITZ!Repeater models at this year's IFA, and both already support the next-generation WiFi 7 standard: The FRITZ!Repeater 1200 W7 and FRITZ!Repeater 2400 W7. A perfect fit for the FRITZ!Box WiFi Mesh, these repeaters make it easy to extend the wireless network to cover every last corner of the home – so users can enjoy stable and speedy connections throughout. On dual-band mode, the FRITZ!Repeater 2400 W7 provides wireless data coverage at speeds of up to 6.4 Gbit/s, or wired speeds of up to 2.5 Gbit/s via its LAN port. Like the FRITZ!Repeater 2400 W7, the FRITZ!Repeater 1200 W7 also operates on both 5 and 2.4 GHz frequencies. The FRITZ!Repeater 1200 W7 achieves speeds of up to 3.5 Gbit/s and has a 1 Gbit/s LAN port. These repeaters make it easy to set up a dedicated gaming room or watch videos online from the garden shed, all while enjoying the full speed and potential of the digital home. Combined with a powerful FRITZ!Box, the two FRITZ!Repeaters are the basis for a strong WiFi Mesh network – reaping the full benefits of WiFi 7. This setup significantly improves latency, speed, and data throughput for a fast and stable internet connection. Users can also play around with their FRITZ!Repeater setup to spontaneously expand or adapt their network on demand - they can be switched on or off, or moved around as needed. The FRITZ!Repeater products can also be easily connected to routers from other manufacturers.

AVM is expanding its Mesh WiFi portfolio with its powerful new FRITZ!Mesh Sets – for strong WiFi with exceptional range and stability for every use case. The FRITZ!Mesh Set 3000 WiFi 6 is a WiFi performance package for large residential environments with many mobile devices. The Set includes two or three FRITZ!Repeater 3000 AX repeaters. The new FRITZ!Mesh Set 1200 WiFi 6 comes with two or three FRITZ!Repeater 1200 AX repeaters – similarly ideal for long-range WiFi. As expected, the new FRITZ!Mesh Sets combine perfectly with a FRITZ!Box – but they also now work alongside another router or can be directly connected to a fiber optic modem/ONT. The FRITZ!Repeater that’s directly connected to the router or fiber optic modem then creates a powerful Mesh WiFi network alongside the other repeaters in the set. Regardless of the router used, users benefit from a powerful Mesh WiFi setup that can be scaled on demand – and experienced alongside all the popular and familiar FRITZ! functions such as guest access, timers, parental controls, and automatic updates.

AVM is expanding its Smart Home portfolio and introducing its first ever current sensor for digital electricity meters. With the new sensor, users can monitor and evaluate their electricity costs and thus optimize energy costs. The FRITZ!Smart Energy 250 connects to the FRITZ!Box via DECT and can be magnetically attached to a digital electricity meter. It reads the live energy data from the meter via infrared and shares this output with the FRITZ! Smart Home. Users can then monitor the data and evaluate it at different intervals in FRITZ!OS or MyFRITZ!Net. The FRITZ!Smart Energy 250 itself is powered via batteries or USB.

With the growth of its Smart Home portfolio, AVM is adapting its product names to match. All FRITZ!DECT products are now called FRITZ!Smart, but everything remains as FRITZ! as ever: innovative technology, maximum convenience, ease of use, and free updates. The popular smart products are now divided into four categories: FRITZ!Smart Energy, FRITZ!Smart Thermo, FRITZ!Smart Control, and FRITZ!Smart Light. Then there’s the FRITZ!Smart Gateway for easy Zigbee and Matter integration. Visitors to IFA can check out all the FRITZ!Smart products in action at the dedicated showroom, which is part of this year’s even bigger trade show stand. Find out more about the Smart Home portfolio in the related press release (link).

IFA visitors will get a preview of FRITZ!OS 8, which offers over 60 new features and improvements for all current FRITZ! products. The upcoming update will offer users even more convenience and a clearer overview of everything going on in their digital home. AVM has simplified the initial FRITZ!Box setup and updated the user interface. The connection status is now displayed on the homepage and it’s easier to manage individual devices by assigning names and symbols in the Mesh Overview. Connected devices can also be better identified by assigning names in the guest network. This is particularly beneficial for users who use the guest network for smart home devices, as it will make it easier to tell the many different devices apart. Another new feature is the handy Online Monitor, which provides internet usage data for each individual device. IPv6 data can now also be transmitted via WireGuard, which makes it easy to establish a VPN connection by scanning a QR code. This makes it even easier for users to use secure VPN connections when transferring sensitive data. Users can test drive the update on certain FRITZ!Box models right now in the FRITZ! Lab.

· High-speed fiber optic router for up to 10 Gbit/s

· Supports the XGS-PON fiber optic standard

· Mesh Wi-Fi, 4 x 4 on 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz, Wi-Fi 7

· Wi-Fi speed: 5 GHz: up to 5,760 Mbit/s, 2.4 GHz: up to 1,376 Mbit/s (Wi-Fi 7)

· 1 x 10-gigabit LAN port and 4 LAN ports at 1 Gbit/s

· 1 x USB 3.0 for mobile dongles (5G/4G), storage media, and printers

· Telephony via DECT, IP/SIP and 1 analog telephone port (FXS)

· Smart home features via DECT ULE

· FRITZ!OS with VPN, parental controls, media server, FRITZ!NAS, Wi-Fi guest access, and more

· Information on market launch and RRP to follow

· Powerful integrated fiber optic router

· Supports the fiber standards: GPON up to 2.5 Gbit/s, AON up to 1 Gbit/s

· Mesh Wi-Fi, 4x4 on 5 GHz and 2x2 on 2.4 GHz, Wi-Fi 7

· Wi-Fi speed: 5 GHz: up to 5,760 Mbit/s, 2.4 GHz: up to 688 Mbit/s (Wi-Fi 7)

· 2 x 2.5-Gbit/s LAN ports and 2 x 1-Gbit/s LAN ports

· 1 x USB 3.0 for mobile dongles (5G/4G), storage media, and printers

· Telephony via DECT, IP/SIP and 1 analog telephone port (FXS)

· Smart home features via DECT ULE

· FRITZ!OS with VPN, parental controls, media server, FRITZ!NAS, Wi-Fi guest access, and more

· Information on market launch and RRP to follow

· Wireless router, ideal for connecting to a fiber optic modem

· Mesh Wi-Fi, 4x4 on 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz, Wi-Fi 7 / Wi-Fi 6

· Wi-Fi speed: 5 GHz: up to 5,760 Mbit/s (Wi-Fi 7), 2.4 GHz: up to 1,200 Mbit/s (Wi-Fi 6)

· 1 x 10-Gbit/s WAN port and 1x 10-Gbit/s LAN port and 3 x 2.5-Gbit/s LAN ports

· 1 x USB 3.0 for mobile dongles (5G/4G), storage media, and printers

· Telephony via DECT, IP/SIP and 1 analog telephone port (FXS)

· Smart home features via DECT ULE

· FRITZ!OS with VPN, parental controls, media server, FRITZ!NAS, Wi-Fi guest access, and more

· Information on market launch and RRP to follow

· Router for on the go and at home via 5G and LTE up to 1.3  bit/s (4x4 MIMO)

· Support for 5G SA/NSA (3GPP Release 16) and LTE Advanced Pro (CAT19)

· 5G Carrier Aggregation (5G CA), Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS), nano SIM, 5G via band 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 75, 76, 77, 78

· 4G (LTE) via bands 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 32, 38, 40, 41, 42, and 43, also supports 3G (UMTS)

· Mesh Wi-Fi: 2x2 on 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz, Wi-Fi 6

· Wi-Fi speed: 5 GHz: up to 2,400 Mbit/s, 2.4 GHz: up to 600 Mbit/s (Wi-Fi 6)

· 1 x 1-Gbit/s LAN port with Power over Ethernet (PoE)

· Telephony via VoLTE, VoNR (5G) and VoIP

· Telephone system for DECT and IP phones

· Smart home features via DECT ULE

· Removable base for wall/window mounting, can be used outdoors, IP 54

· Information on market launch and RRP to follow

· Dual-band Wi-Fi repeater to extend the Wi-Fi range

· Mesh Wi-Fi, 4x4 on 5 GHz and 2x2 on 2.4 GHz, Wi-Fi 7

· Wi-Fi speed: 5 GHz: up to 5,760 Mbit/s, 2.4 GHz: up to 688 Mbit/s (Wi-Fi 7)

· 1 x 2.5-Gbit/s LAN port for connecting by cable or connecting network-compatible devices

· WPA3 encryption

· Adopts the Wi-Fi network name and password of the existing Wi-Fi network when using any wireless router with WPS

· Can be used on any wireless router

· FRITZ!App Wi-Fi helps users find the ideal positioning in the home

· Information on market launch and RRP to follow

· Dual-band Wi-Fi repeater to extend the Wi-Fi range

· Mesh Wi-Fi, 2x2 on 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz, Wi-Fi 7

· Wi-Fi speed: 5 GHz: up to 2,880 Mbit/s, 2.4 GHz: up to 688 Mbit/s (Wi-Fi 7)

· 1-Gbit/s LAN port for connecting by cable or connecting network-compatible devices

· WPA3 encryption

· Adopts the Wi-Fi network name and password of the existing Wi-Fi network when using any wireless router with WPS

· Can be used on any wireless router

· FRITZ!App Wi-Fi helps users find the ideal positioning in the home

· Information on market launch and RRP to follow

· High performance Mesh Set with Wi-Fi for the entire home

· Can be used with any router/modem

· Mesh WiFi, 4x4 for 2x 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz bands, WiFi 6

· WiFi speed: 5 GHz: up to 2400 Mbit/s, 5 GHz: up to 1200 Mbit/s, 2.4 GHz: up to 600 Mbit/s (WiFi 6)

· 2 x 1-Gbit/s LAN port for connecting by cable or connecting network-compatible devices

· FRITZ!App Wi-Fi helps users find the ideal positioning in the home

· Sets of 2 and 3 are also planned

· Information on market launch and RRP to follow

· Mesh Set with Wi-Fi for the home

· Can be used with any router/modem

· Mesh Wi-Fi, 2x2 on 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz, Wi-Fi 6

· Wi-Fi speed: 5 GHz: up to 2400 Mbit/s, 2.4 GHz: up to 600 Mbit/s

· 1 x 1-Gbit/s LAN port for connecting by cable or connecting network-compatible devices

· FRITZ!App Wi-Fi helps users find the ideal positioning in the home

· Sets of 2 and 3 are also planned

· Information on market launch and RRP to follow

· Current sensor for digital electricity meters to read data via infrared and transfer output for easy monitoring

· Integrated into the FRITZ!Box home network via DECT

· Data is presented and evaluated in FRITZ!OS and MyFRITZ!Net

· Powered by batteries (2 x AA) or USB port

· Easy to mount with integrated magnets

· Information on market launch and RRP to follow.