The European Investment Bank (EIB) will lend € 350 million to Bouygues Telecom to support the deployment of its 5G network in France, the EIB announced Thursday.
Read also: 5G: Orange in the lead on the quality of connections
This financing agreement, the first of its kind between the EIB and the French operator, will in particular help to expand the coverage of Bouygues Telecom's 5G network,
"including in rural areas"
, and to multiply it
"by 4"
the capacity of its mobile radio network by 2026, the EIB added in a press release.
In its strategic plan for the next five years called "Ambition 2026", Bouygues Telecom plans to invest 1.5 billion euros in the deployment of its 4G and 5G networks and in the fiber market, where the operator plans to win 3 million additional customers.
Bouygues Telecom thus hopes to increase its subscription revenues by at least 40% within five years while increasing its profitability, the group indicated in mid-January when presenting its strategic plan.
Read also: Bouygues Telecom wants to be number two in mobile
“Bouygues Telecom has great ambitions around Mobile and 5G for the years to come and wants to help open up regions by reducing the digital divide. The support shown by the Bank of the European Union for this vast industrial project is a validation of our choices and confirms the relevance of our strategy ”
, estimated the deputy general manager of the operator Christian Lecoq, quoted in the press release.
