Foxtel's new iQ5 set-top box finally cuts the cord for an online only experience

Foxtel today unveiled its new iQ5 set-top box, a new online-only solution for accessing the pay TV's giant content without the need for a cable or satellite connection.

Despite having more in common with an Apple TV than Foxtel's original set-top boxes, iQ5 users can still watch Foxtel channels live, in addition to on-demand. Recording functionality is still present, with the iQ5 featuring a removable 1TB hard drive.

The iQ5 is also able to access Foxtel's 4K content, which to date has been exclusively available to Foxtel customers with an iQ4 set-top box and service delivered via satellite.

The iQ5 set-top box will be available to select subscribers from this month, ahead of wider availability later in the year. A Foxtel spokesperson told us the iQ5 will initially be offered to customers on an iQ2 set-top box or older, migrating cable customers, and customers in buildings that otherwise wouldn't be capable of getting a Foxtel cable or satellite service.

Customers already with an iQ4 set-top box and a satellite service will continue to use their iQ4.

Of course, since the iQ5 relies on an internet connection, customers will need to ensure they have a fast enough plan to use the set-top box. At least 3Mbps is required for standard definition content, 7Mbps for high definition, and 25Mbps for 4K. All those speed requirements are similar to what's needed for the likes of Netflix and Stan.

The iQ5 is a rather interesting product for Foxtel, marking the first time its traditional customers won't need a direct connection to Foxtel to use the pay TV service. The product's development would have almost certainly be driven by the fact that Foxtel will no longer have access to the Telstra cable network as of June 2023.

Foxtel has been migrating customers to satellite connections since 2018 to help mitigate this. However, satellite installation isn't always practical in some circumstances, in which the pay TV provider would risk losing those customers without a solution like the iQ5.

While Foxtel Now offers a similar online-based experience to a traditional Foxtel service, it may not be as appealing to those who are used to having an iQ set-top box with recording capabilities.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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