French operator Orange said that is already making 5G technology available to companies operating in the port area of Le Havre. In a release, the telco said that Le Havre is the first major French seaport to benefit from 5G operating in 3.5 GHz spectrum.
Orange noted that the opening of the 5G network aims to improve the attractiveness and competitiveness of the port area, as the companies with operations in this port can now benefit from real-time data and will be able to use connected robotics, augmented reality maintenance or even make remote interventions possible.
This new network will also enable numerous digital projects (including IoT, Artificial Intelligence, deep learning, edge computing) designed within the framework of the “smart port city” innovation territory (IT), according to the carrier. At the heart of this project, Orange Business Services has been developinga “Smart Data Services” platform with Haropa and the Le Havre Seine Métropole urban community for two years.
“5G is a major technological revolution and a unique opportunity for all companies in the industrial port area and the urban community of Havre Seine Métropole,” said Stéphane Richard, chairman and CEO of Orange. “It will help improve their competitiveness, efficiency and flexibility. It will also be a powerful lever for economic recovery and energy transition, two major challenges for our society.”
Orange initially launched commercial 5G services in 15 municipalities at the beginning of December 2020.
The operator is currently offering 5G services though frequencies in the 3.5 GHz band. Orange had obtained 90 megahertz of spectrum in that band last year. The telco said that its upcoming 5G deployment focuses mainly on these new 3.5 GHz frequencies and may be supplemented by the use of 2.1 GHz frequencies.
The operator said it has chosen to initially cover areas that are already heavily used in order to avoid any risk of saturation.
As of January 2021, Orange had already activated 5G in 160 cities across the country. Some of the initial cities covered by Orange’s 5G network include Marseille, Nice, Le Mans and Angers.
Last week, the telco also announced the activation of commercial 5G services in Paris.
