French operators Bouygues Telecom, Free Mobile, Orange and SFR launched 5G services in Paris last Friday, following the recent approval by the local city council.
Orange said in a statement that it had deployed 5G infrastructure in the French capital using spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band.
“At a time when companies are accelerating their digitalization, 5G will allow Parisians to develop innovative digital uses and will undoubtedly be a catalyst for innovations in the service of the economic and social dynamism of Paris,” Orange said.
Rival operator Free Mobile said that the new service will have a presence in all the capital’s districts with 200 sites.
Meanwhile, SFR said it will initially cover 80% of Paris’ population, relying on approximately 80 authorized sites.
The carriers have been installing 5G sites in Paris while they were waiting for the final authorization by the city’s authorities.
Last week, the Paris Council approved a new telecom charter which paved the way for 5G activations in the French capital.
The charter was approved with the support of right-wing officials and despite the opposition from environmentalists, who had proposed to authorize the new technology later in the year. The agreement followed the conclusion of a consultation process launched at the end of 2020 by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, aimed at gathering feedback from the public on topics such as the environmental and health issues related to 5G deployments.
The new pact stipulated limitation on exposure to radio waves, information and transparency on the installation of 5G antennas and monitoring of the environmental impact of 5G deployments in the city.
The city of Paris committed to provide Parisians with complete and transparent information on the impacts of mobile telephony and 5G by publishing the reports of the competent national agencies as well as the information provided by the operators.
France had a total of 21,714 5G authorized sites as of March 1, of which 12,310 were declared technically operational by the local mobile carriers, according to the latest information provided by France’s spectrum agency ANFR.
