The project involves 33km of tunnels, 1,000 network elements and 16 stations and is due for completion by the end of 2025
Orange’s towerco subsidiary TOTEM has started 5G deployment of 1,000 pieces of equipment tunnels for the future Line 15 South. It is one of the four new automated train lines being deployed in Paris as part of the ambitious Grand Paris Express transportation project.
TOTEM aims to have installed 5G along the entire 33km length of the Line 15 South and its 16 stations by the end 2025. The 5G infrastructure will be available to all mobile operators to connect their customers while on the trains and platforms.
Once completed, it will be the first 5G connected Grand Paris Express line within the Parisian metro system.
Industrial scale
Teams at Société des grands projets which developed the Grand Paris Express project, incorporated the deployment into its design as a 100% connected metro line.
Deploying the 5G network in tunnels is a technical challenge: it’s an indoor space with a high density of people, movement and super thick walls that block radio waves. It is also needs to meet the coverage specifications of all operators.
With 80% of connectivity used indoors, TOTEM says it has positioned itself as the leading towerco connecting underground transport, stadiums, concert halls, and shopping malls.
Thierry Papin, CEO of TOTEM France, says: “Indoor connectivity is a priority for transport players. TOTEM’s operational deployment of 5G in the tunnels and stations of the future Line 15 South of the Grand Paris Express is a major industrial project.”