5G available in Paris "before the end of February", according to Xavier Niel

5G will be available in Paris "before the end of February for all operators," said Xavier Niel, founder of the telecom operator Free, on Monday, while the French capital still does not benefit from the latest generation mobile network.

More than 7,500 5G sites have been commercially opened by Orange, SFR, Free and Bouygues Telecom since the end of November in France, outside of Paris and major metropolitan areas, according to data published by the Telecoms Regulatory Authority (Arcep).

"I have the impression that things are moving in the right direction"

Why is it taking so long?

“Because Paris has been a cautious city, there has been a fear. The city has tried to do things pretty well. I was a little critical a month ago but I feel like things are moving forward. in a good way, ”said Xavier Niel in an interview with BFM Business.

From Paris to Nantes, several mayors of large cities have decided to launch a "public debate" to respond in particular to a "need for transparency" of citizens about the impact of the deployment of 5G on the environment or health.

Other municipalities such as Lille have already announced that they are in favor of a moratorium until the publication, scheduled for spring 2021, of a report from the National Health Security Agency (Anses).

Anxious to avoid any arm wrestling, operators and public authorities have assured that they will take into account local reluctance to defuse a subject that has become controversial since the Citizen's Climate Convention itself recommended a moratorium this summer.

"We hope it is a matter of weeks" to see Paris be covered in 5G, said the founder of Free.

While 5G promises to ultimately offer up to 10 times faster speed, operators are counting above all on its launch to manage the increase in traffic and avoid saturation of their mobile networks.