Xavier Niel was therefore right, or almost.
At the beginning of January, the boss of Free predicted a launch of 5G in the capital "before the end of February".
Now, this Friday, the City of Paris announces an imminent start-up of this new mobile telephone network, which allows content to be downloaded ten times faster than with 4G, "in the coming weeks".
The outcome of many months of controversy.
The arrival of 5G, in Paris but also across the country, has been debated for a long time.
Opponents pointing the finger in particular to the impact of this technology on the environment.
the city promises a charter
A citizens' conference was therefore organized by the City of Paris at the end of 2020, in order to dispel doubts and lead to a new Parisian charter for mobile telephony.
"It will be submitted to the Paris Council in March," said Paul Simondon, deputy to Anne Hidalgo (PS) in charge of the file.
Then, the 5G antennas can be activated by the operators.
In the capital, more than 1,000, including 486 of the latest generation, are in fact already ready to transmit, according to figures from the National Frequency Agency (ANFR) in December.
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We "visited" a 5G relay antenna
Limitation of exposure to waves, information and transparency on the installation of antennas, monitoring of the environmental impact… This charter has many advantages, promises the City of Paris.
Which also highlights the commitments made by operators.
Like the fact of "opening universal collection points in all their Parisian stores, during major public events" ...
Powder in the eyes, according to Fatoumata Koné.
With her group, the president of the ecologists at the Council of Paris had sent a letter to Anne Hidalgo in early January to demand a moratorium on the deployment of 5G.
In vain, then.
"Commitments on recycling, that's the least of things, insists the elected.
This charter does not meet the challenges of 5G, which consumes a lot of energy.
What we were asking was to wait until the studies that are still in progress are completed, in order to be able to take a fully informed position. ”
A new crisis between ecologists and Anne Hidalgo?
Conversely, operators are the first to rejoice.
“Paris without 5G, it was a bit like imagining it without the Eiffel Tower!
gets angry Nicolas Guérin, the president of the French Telecoms Federation.
5G should be welcomed, fearlessly and with enthusiasm, since the health and control authorities concur in the absence of specific health effects of 5G below the exposure limit values.
5G, just like 4G and fiber extended to the entire territory, are deployed for the competitiveness of our country and our companies. ”
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However, heated debates are still to be expected, much more political this time, at the Paris Council in March.
Because Fatoumata Koné also regrets the method: “In fact, Anne Hidalgo was in favor of deployment from the start.
We are told that she had no other choice, but Martine Aubry (PS), in Lille, remains on the idea of a moratorium.
We were called this Friday afternoon to tell us that the charter was validated.
We couldn't amend it.
As the presidential election approaches, it is difficult to imagine a gathering of the left with such behavior. ”
