France

Singapore-based UnaBiz is the new owner of France-based ultra-narrowband IoT company Sigfox, the Commercial Court of Toulouse confirmed today. UnaBiz has acquired Sigfox SA, the primary technology company, and Sigfox France SAS, its network operator subsidiary in France. The deal, …

The Commercial Court of Toulouse in France has delayed its decision on the sale of Sigfox until April 21. The decision, originally scheduled for today (April 14), gives Singapore-based UnaBiz, the long-time front-runner to buy ailing IoT firm, another week …

France-based facility services company Derichebourg Multiservices has integrated 1,200 IoT sensors into the LED ceiling lights at its new headquarters in Créteil (pictured), near Paris. Data from the sensors will help the firm optimise its energy management at the site, …

Singapore-based UnaBiz, the front-runner in the race to buy Sigfox, has had its bid for the ailing French IoT firm blocked by the French Ministry of Economy, as political hyper-sensitivity around economic nationalism, and even protectionism, mounts ahead of the …

An Open Letter to Presidential Candidate Macron Subject: Resumption of Sigfox activity #SauvonsSigfox #ReviensLeon Presidential candidate Macron, You gave me a taste for politics. You have given me hope in a government with progressive values, capable of destroying dogmatic practices …

Custom-machine manufacturer MGA Technologies has engaged Finland-based industrial networking specialist Edzcom, owned by Spanish tower company Cellnex, to deploy a private 5G network from Nokia at its new MGA TechLab 4.0 in Lyon, in France. The network went live in …

Orange Business Services, the global enterprise division of France-based operator Orange, has struck a deal with German industrial giant Siemens in France to combine on industrial IoT, private 5G networks, cloud and edge computing, data analytics, and cybersecurity.  The partnership …

Finnish private networking specialist Edzcom has been appointed by industrial machine manufacturer MGA Technologies to build a private 5G network at its new Industry 4.0 innovation lab near Lyon, in France. Edzcom called the installation the “first private 5G lab” …

ArcelorMittal has cut the ribbon at a new ‘digital lab’ in Dunkirk, in France, adjacent to its largest Europe-based steel production site. The new lab, which opens in September, will host manufacturing partners, start-ups, and universities, and be the epicentre …

Orange will begin deployment of the 5G standalone network in the town of Lannion, with expansion expected in 2022 Orange is launching a test Standalone (SA) 5G network in France to evaluate the benefits of cloud, AI and new radio …

Électricité de France (EDF) has appointed Thales and Ericsson to design and supply private industrial-grade LTE networks at all of its nuclear energy sites in France. The company has 56 nuclear power reactors in the country, and the stated schedule …

The French government has announced funding for new national industrial 5G projects, as parts of its France Relance (France Relaunch) package. It has also raised alarm bells that the country is falling behind rival economies, notably Germany, on the rollout …

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 …

Iliad’s shares dipped 3% immediately following the news With plans to purchase Poland’s telecom company Play for 3.5 billion euro ($4.2 billion) in the works, France’s Iliad is making moves to become Europe’s sixth-largest mobile phone operator. Specifically, Iliad had …

Germany has made its move in the international AI arms race with state support for tech start-ups, a ‘JEDI’ innovation network with France, and backing for its ‘Cyber Valley’ set-up from industrial giants including BMW, Daimler, Porsche, and Bosch. The …

The industrial internet-of-things (IoT) is at the heart of France’s new 5G roadmap, unveiled late yesterday by the French electronic communications and postal regulatory authority (Arcep). The new plan, presented by Arcep chair Sébastien Soriano, flanked by secretaries of state …

The French and UK governments have signed a five-year accord to work together to improve digital services through state-level collaboration on artificial intelligence (AI), data and digital administration. Mounir Mahjoubi and Matt Hancock, digital secretaries for France and the UK …

The White House has convened a meeting today (May 10) of 40 leading tech firms to discuss policy issues related to artificial intelligence (AI), including workforce development, regulatory barriers, and sector-specific applications. The move follows a glut of state-sponsored European …

The UK government has announced a £1 billion ($1.4bn) joint investment to stimulate the country’s artificial intelligence (AI) industry. The deal includes £600 million of additional funding, comprising £300 million of private sector investment from 50 technology firms, matched by …

The European Commission (EC) has increased its Horizon 2020 research and innovation funding to €1.5 billion for the period through to the end of 2020, as it attempts to raise €20 billion from the European governments and private enterprises to …

South Korea, Germany and Singapore are best positioned to lead the world for industrial automation, thanks to their approaches to artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. These three, along with Japan and Canada, are the top five countries for “automation readiness”, …

France’s national AI strategy is only the latest promise in an intensifying political arms race. Enterprise IoT Insights considers the seven most significant national AI strategies to date, including state AI blueprints from the US, Canada, the UK, China and …

French president Emmanuel Macron’s commitment to invest €1.5bn ($1.85bn) in new education and business initiatives around artificial intelligence (AI) was applauded by the telecoms industry, but only as the latest promise in an intensifying political arms race. Macron said last …