Orange estimates that France has accumulated a year and a half behind the rollout of 5G. The historic operator regrets that elected officials are seeking to slow down the deployment of the network by agitating ecological and health concerns without any foundation.
At the end of 2020, Orange, Free Mobile, SFR and Bouygues Télécom activated their 5G network in France. For the time being, around a hundred French cities are covered by 5G. In total, more than 7,500 5G sites were opened by operators in France.
Some cities, including Paris, Lille or Grenoble, have decided to moderate the launch of 5G on their territory. Some cities, including Lille, will even wait for the publication scheduled for spring 2021 of a report from the National Health Security Agency (Anses) to authorize 5G. Some left-wing officials and environmentalists fear that the waves generated by 5G are not dangerous for health. However, a study commissioned by the government has already concluded that 5G waves are not dangerous.
Orange does not know if France will be able to catch up
Under these conditions, Stéphane Richard, CEO of Orange France, is not surprised that France has accumulated a year and a half behind the rollout of 5G compared to other countries. “France is leaving with almost a year and a half late in the deployment of 5G. It is difficult to know today if she will catch up with him ” explains Stéphane Richard in an interview with Journal du Dimanche.
“We are indeed not really ahead in the deployment of this technology. In addition to basic problems, the chronology of the last months provides an explanation for the recent tensions. 5G indeed became, in the spring of 2019, a campaign theme for the municipal elections, which did not make things easier, on the contrary. While the authorizations had finally been granted to the operators ” tackle the leader.
This is not the first time that StĂ©phane Richard denounces the position of elected officials openly opposed to 5G. Last September, the CEO of Orange already estimated that it is only in France that environmentalists are afraid of the deployment of the mobile network. “When we say ‘green people don’t like 5G’, it is not true: Californian or Scandinavian green people like 5G, it is some French green people who have a problem with 5G ” declared the leader of Orange, visibly recovered. What do you think of StĂ©phane Richard’s words? We await your opinion in the comments.
Source: The Sunday Journal
