France: start of 5G auctions

The procedure for allocating 5G frequencies to telecom operators was officially launched in France on Tuesday, September 29.

ERIC PIERMONT / AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

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In France, this Tuesday, September 29, auction kicks off for the allocation of 5G frequencies.

This exceptional event, which only occurs once every ten years and will last 10 days, was scheduled for April but had to be postponed due to the coronavirus epidemic.

The highly contested deployment of the future mobile network should bring in money for the State and allow France to catch up with other advanced countries.

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Four operators, Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Free, are in the running to acquire 11 blocks of frequencies unused for fifteen years.

The

allow them to offer speeds tenfold to their subscribers by the end of the year.

Technically, 5G must first use the band from 3.4 to 3.8 gigahertz (GHz) on the electro / magnetic spectrum of the different frequency bands.

These four operators have each obtained a block of 50 megahertz (MHz) for 350 million euros.

With the additional 110 MHz auctioned, the state hopes to collect at least 2.2 billion euros, knowing that an operator will not be able to acquire more than 100 megahertz.

In addition to frequencies, Orange, SFR and others will also have to deploy their 5G networks, an expensive process.

Not to mention the cost of replacing thousands of Chinese

antennas

that must be dismantled.

Secondly, other auctions will allow operators to position themselves either at the beginning, in the middle or at the end of the band, more sensitive to interference with other services.

These auctions begin while part of the opinion and political leaders of the left and ecological, Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Yannick Jadot in the lead, denounce the usefulness of 5G and the risks it would pose for health and 'environment.

In response, Emmanuel Macron, who is keen on the deployment of 5G, had called them “Amish” wanting to return to the “oil lamp”.

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