D-day for 5G.
Postponed for several months because of the coronavirus, Arcep (Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications and Posts) kicks off the auction this Tuesday at 9:30 am for the allocation to Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Free of frequencies allowing this mobile technology to offer new services.
Concretely, the four operators have already committed to each buy a block of 50 MHz frequencies at a price of 350 million euros.
This Tuesday, eleven additional blocks are put up for auction with a reserve price of 70 million euros.
Operators have the right to request a maximum of five blocks.
Each turn, the price of the blocks increases by 5 million euros.
According to Arcep, these auctions should last a fortnight.
The state hopes to pocket a minimum of 2.17 billion euros in these funds.
In 2011, the allocation of 4G frequencies brought in 3.5 billion euros and those of 2015 for the extension of frequencies nearly 2.8 billion euros.
This time, the expected revenues are a little less important but they take into account a technical parameter: if the frequencies for 5G offer a higher speed than those used for 4G, they however have a disadvantage because they carry less. far.
In other words, operators will have to invest massively to set up new branches to have an efficient network throughout the territory.
Commercial offers before Christmas
Nevertheless, as soon as the frequencies are allocated, probably at the beginning of December or at the end of November, the operators will be able to offer the first commercial offers to the general public.
In principle, in the specifications, each operator has committed to launch a 5G service in at least two cities.
Stéphane Richard, the boss of Orange has already said that new subscriptions will be available before Christmas.
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But with the competition in this sector, there is no doubt that all operators are going to make their mark.
It remains to be seen whether consumers will sign up with probably more expensive subscriptions and the obligation to equip themselves with new smartphones compatible with 5G?
Auctions in a climate of mistrust
Especially since these auctions come in a climate of mistrust.
Elected environmentalists, leftists or NGOs point to this new technology with high frequencies as potentially dangerous for health, even if the evaluations in this area are partial.
The Citizens' Convention wanted by Emmanuel Macron called for a moratorium on 5G in its proposals.
Others believe that 5G will consume much more energy with the proliferation of antennas or with the increase in data flows.
Already the mayors of large green cities like Grenoble or Bordeaux have made it known that if they do not have the power to oppose the deployment, they will always be able to put obstacles in the way.
A strategic issue for the government
Except that the government, which at first wanted to be reassuring by ordering reports on the environmental impact, decided to whistle the end of this part.
"France will take the turn of 5G" recently decided Emmanuel Macron by denouncing the passage on Europe 1 the "Amish model" of opponents of technology.
But especially when this is already the case, the government wants France not to fall further behind in the deployment of 5G compared to its European neighbors and more broadly to China or the United States.
“It is essential that we deploy 5G.
We are not going to give our adversaries or our economic rivals this gift of falling behind.
It would be a dramatic economic mistake for the country.
This would deprive us of advances in medical matters, in terms of energy flow management, transport management, ”hammered Bruno Le Maire, the Minister of the Economy on France 2.