Bouygues Telecom says it has made its first 5G call in Lyon “in real conditions”.
The trial was part of a collaboration with Ericsson and Qualcomm – a Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 5G modem powered the 5G device. Bouygues Telecom reports that the call connected on the 3.5GHz frequency band and worked on the move at Bouygues Telecom’s first 5G site in Lyon. The site features 5G Ericsson 6488 active radio antennas connected to a fibre-optic backbone. The equipment is compatible with 3GPP’s R15 5G-NR (New Radio) NSA (Non-Standalone) standard, the operator said.
Bordeaux trials
Lyon is the second city in which Bouygues Telecom has deployed 5G in France. In July 2018, the operator ran its first 5G pilot in Bordeaux. Since then, it has opened 11 5G sites in Bordeaux.
Jean-Paul Arzel, Bouygues Telecom’s Network Director, said: “Our various real-life experiments provide us with valuable information about 5G and its deployment.
“I would like to thank our partners and all of our engineers and technicians who have managed to position us from now on as a key player in 5G in France.”
5G for France
In July, France’s regulator, Arcep, outlined its roadmap for 5G, describing the technology as “strategically vital to France’s industry, the competitiveness of our economy, innovation and revitalised public services”.
Arcep said France would have its first 5G city by 2020 and its major transport routes covered by 2025.
In June, Arcep announced it was exploring the possibility of using 26GHz for nationwide 5G coverage. It has also opened up spectrum bands to encourage 5G pilots such as the latest one by Bouygues Telecom.
Other focuses in Arcep’s roadmap include helping to drive the development of new use cases, supporting infrastructure deployment and ensuring the public is kept up to speed with the French government’s 5G strategy.