5G: France will limit the operating time of Chinese Huawei's facilities

Huawei will not be banned from 5G in France, but the operating life of its installations will be limited to 8 years (Photo illustration). REUTERS / Arnd Wiegmann

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In France, telecom operators will soon know which equipment manufacturers ANSSI authorizes them to use for 5G. Unlike the United States and the United Kingdom, France will not ban the 5G technology developed by the Chinese equipment manufacturer Huawei, but limit it in time.

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The operating authorizations will be limited to eight years for the operators, who will use the antennas of the Chinese telecoms group. We are not in Huawei bashing, nor in anti-Chinese racism, says the director of ANSSI, the National Information System Security Agency. But it is a question of sovereignty, the risk is not the same, with European equipment manufacturers.

►Also read : 5G: France draws the “Huawei law”

Orange chose the Finnish Nokia and the Swedish Ericsson. Iliad, the parent company of Free has chosen a partnership with Nokia. But Bouygues Telecom and SFR, which already use Huawei for 4G, will have to change equipment.

Legal remedies against 5G

The reaction of the Chinese authorities was immediate. Beijing is asking France to guarantee a fair environment for its companies.

However, another obstacle hangs over the deployment of 5G in France. Operators will face  legal actions launched by associations worried about the potential harmful effects of 5G on health and the environment.

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  • France
  • China
  • Telecom

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