Orange said that the launch of its 5G service in France will take place on 03 December and cover several cities, including Nice, Marseille, Le Mans, Angers and Clermont Ferrand. The network will initially go live in fifteen locations, rising to 160 towns and cities by the end of the year. It will mainly rely on the 3.5 GHz band, said the company, adding that the roll-out may be supplemented by the use of 2.1 GHz frequencies.
Since October, French consumers have been offered 5G-compatible voice and data plans, on a standalone basis and as part of Open multi-play bundles. Since then, Orange has introduced a 'Pro' mobile package in the B2B segment, priced EUR 62/month (excluding VAT) and offering a data allowance of 150 GB. It has also refreshed its range of plans for SMEs with a 5G add-on bringing an additional 20 GB to the three price tiers within the Performance Enterprise portfolio.
Rival SFR switched on its 5G network in Nice on 20 November, while Bouygues Telecom has scheduled the launch of its commercial service for 01 December. The country's network operators have been asked by the government to maintain good dialogue with local authorities regarding their roll-out plans. This is in response to the opposition expressed by several local councils, reflecting the environmental and health concerns voiced by political players such as the Green party.
In Paris, for example, the city's mayor Anne Hidalgo has recently launched a consultation on the deployment of 5G services. This includes a panel of 80 residents who have been asked to consider the issues at stake and make recommendations that will be presented back to the capital’s council in mid-December.
