On April 30, with the launch of the #ExtendedMonaco program, the Prince’s Government set the tone for Monaco’s ambition in a digital world. The first pillar of this “Smart Principality” with the implementation of fibre optics and the emergence of a sovereign cloud, the 5G network will be activated in July in the Principality. This will place Monaco in levels of performance worthy of the expectations of its residents and the needs of its businesses.
On June 18, a press conference announcing the next launch of the 5G was held at the premises of MonacoTech, in the presence of key players in this project. A technological advancement adopted at the same time by many European countries such as Portugal, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Belgium and in 2020 France.
“But before we even look for opportunities for progress, the priority of 5G is to keep us at the heart of a quality network, the same one that reaches saturation with 4G,” said Martin Peronnet, Director General of Monaco Telecom.
“Because the first issue is there: the demand for the services of the mobile internet (the first mode of access to the banking services, increased consumption of the information, the social networks, increased use of GPS apps, etc.). It’s all about ensuring the quality of service and meeting all these needs. He then referred to the revolution in the business world that will be able to communicate massively with all connected objects, almost in real time!”
For his part, Christophe Pierre, Director of the Development of Digital Uses, has drawn up the regulatory framework that prevails in the field of electromagnetic fields. “Since 2010, the Principality has adopted a regulation in this area that is even more restrictive than the international standard issued by the ICNIRP (International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection) which has set out the guidelines defining the exposure limit values not to be exceeded. These are already 50 times lower than the level inducing the appearance of the first thermal effects. And, for Monaco, these values were even more reduced” he said, before providing some practical details.
“27 sites of antenna implantation will be authorized, once controlled, for the 5G technology taking again those used for the 4G; there are no 5G antennas in street furniture; the Government will publish this summer the site map of authorized and controlled sites and, at the end of the year, an electromagnetic cadastre.”
Finally, responding in anticipation to the emotion aroused by this issue on the health front, Alexandre Bordero, Director of the Action Sanitaire et Sociale, recalled that “according to the World Health Organization, in the light of the whole scientific collective studies on electromagnetic waves carried out and verified for twenty years, these were in no case classified in the category of proven health risks and especially cancers.”