SFR Director: 50% of Nice’s population is covered by the 5G services
While some French cities continue to contest the value of 5G and explore its potential dangers, Nice has become the first city in the country to get next-generation services thanks to mobile operator SFR, which launched 5G in the area last Friday.
SFR’s Director Alain Weill said that upon the initial deployment, 50% of the population of Nice was covered by 5G, and that within several weeks, 80% will be covered. Looking further ahead, SFR has plans to deliver 5G services to Montpellier, Bordeaux, Nantes, Marseille and Paris Ile-de-France.
Days after the commercial launch in Nice, SFR Businesses used the momentum to announce new 5G voice and data plans, as well.
In other cities around France, 5G suspicions are circulating, with many political groups arguing that the advanced cellular technology will harm the environment by consuming too much energy and creating pollution.
Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi, who was present at the launch of the event, addressed some of the concerns, reassuring the region’s population that if he had “the slightest doubt” about the safety of 5G, he “would never have signed up.”
“Its use will revolutionize the digital world and open up new avenues in research and everyday life,” he stated at the launch event. “5G is an important attraction for Nice and its metropolis. With it, we want to break the isolation of our territories and allow our communities to consider the development of new urban services. The health and safety of the people of Nice are my priority.”
Opposition to 5G is, of course, not limited to France. In the U.S., for instance, push back can be see across the entire country and in South Africa, 5G was met with significant resistance by the international group Stop 5G, which calls itself a global protest.
