Bouygues Says to Remove 3,000 Huawei-made Mobile Antennas in France by 2028

The Bouygues Telecom company logo is seen on a shop in Paris, France, May 17, 2018. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/Files
The Bouygues Telecom company logo is seen on a shop in Paris, France, May 17, 2018. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/Files
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Bouygues Says to Remove 3,000 Huawei-made Mobile Antennas in France by 2028

The Bouygues Telecom company logo is seen on a shop in Paris, France, May 17, 2018. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/Files
The Bouygues Telecom company logo is seen on a shop in Paris, France, May 17, 2018. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/Files

Bouygues' will swap 3,000 Huawei-made mobile antennas in France by 2028 following a decision by the country's authorities to remove equipment made by the Chinese company from highly populated areas, Bouygues' deputy CEO said on Thursday.

French authorities have told telecoms operators planning to buy Huawei 5G equipment that they will not be able to renew licenses for the gear once they expire, effectively phasing the Chinese group out of mobile networks by 2028, three sources told Reuters last month.

"A number of sites will gradually have to be dismantled," Bouygues's deputy chief executive Olivier Roussat told reporters in a call, adding that the number sites made with Huawei equipment amounted to 3,000.

"The dismantling will be carried out over a period of eight years, with a limited impact on our operating results," Roussat said.



Nintendo Offers New Switch 2 Details ahead of June 5 Launch

People stand in front of Nintendo's logo in Tokyo, Japan January 13, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo
People stand in front of Nintendo's logo in Tokyo, Japan January 13, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo
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Nintendo Offers New Switch 2 Details ahead of June 5 Launch

People stand in front of Nintendo's logo in Tokyo, Japan January 13, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo
People stand in front of Nintendo's logo in Tokyo, Japan January 13, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo

Nintendo has announced a June 5 launch date for its latest gaming console, the Switch 2, which will introduce interactive chat and screenshare functions to connect gamers.

At its 60-minute Nintendo Direct presentation, the company revealed a more vibrant display on the Switch 2, a larger screen and several games that will launch with the console.

Central to its updated system is a new “C” button on its Joy-Con controller, which will launch a new “GameChat” feature that allows you to “communicate with friends and family while playing a game,” and let you share your game screen with other players. A built-in microphone will also allow you to chat with other gamers, The AP reported.

Perhaps the most contemporary function yet for the Switch 2 is the ability to use the Joy-Con controllers like a computer mouse. The developer displayed multiple ways to use the new function in games, such as angling a club in a golf game.

Wednesday's presentation led off with an extended look at a new Mario Kart game that saw in-game characters doing flips, tricks and rail grinds. The developer also unveiled a new James Bond game, dubbed Project 007, revisiting a classic Nintendo 64 console hit revered by many first-person shooter game fans.

The new console will be backwards compatible — able to play physical and digital Switch games — but users will need to purchase a new type of SD memory card for the Switch 2. The presentation revealed that normal SD cards will not be compatible with the system, but data from the original Switch can be transferred to the new console.

Nintendo plans to host “Switch 2 Experience” events in several countries, where gamers can get a hands-on experience with the new system. Those events are planned for cities such as Los Angeles, New York, London and Paris beginning this month.