عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Technology

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
TT
TT

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.

Most Viewed

 
 
Technology

Albania Bans TikTok for a Year after Killing of Teenager

A view of the TikTok app logo, in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 28, 2020. (AP)
A view of the TikTok app logo, in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 28, 2020. (AP)
TT
TT

Albania Bans TikTok for a Year after Killing of Teenager

A view of the TikTok app logo, in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 28, 2020. (AP)
A view of the TikTok app logo, in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 28, 2020. (AP)

Albania on Saturday announced a one-year ban on TikTok, the popular short video app, following the killing of a teenager last month that raised fears over the influence of social media on children.

The ban, part of a broader plan to make schools safer, will come into effect early next year, Prime Minister Edi Rama said after meeting with parents' groups and teachers from across the country.

"For one year, we'll be completely shutting it down for everyone. There will be no TikTok in Albania," Rama said.

TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside normal business hours.

Several European countries including France, Germany and Belgium have enforced restrictions on social media use for children. In one of the world's toughest regulations targeting Big Tech, Australia approved in November a complete social media ban for children under 16.

Rama has blamed social media, and TikTok in particular, for fueling violence among youth in and outside school.

His government's decision comes after a 14-year-old schoolboy was stabbed to death in November by a fellow pupil. Local media had reported that the incident followed arguments between the two boys on social media. Videos had also emerged on TikTok of minors supporting the killing.

"The problem today is not our children, the problem today is us, the problem today is our society, the problem today is TikTok and all the others that are taking our children hostage," Rama said.