Gold medal 5G connectivity in Paris

Emmanuel Lugagne Delpon, CTO Networks at Orange, and Jerome Monteil, VP at Ericsson France discuss the immense success and meticulous preparation behind the opening ceremony, which was watched by 1,5 billion people.

In 2018, Orange was selected as the sole operator in Paris and had five years of preparation leading up to the event. The focus would be on deploying premium 5G in France, ensuring the best network quality for consumers attending this global athletics and sporting event. This involved strengthening connectivity, deploying the latest technology, and ensuring teams were ready to react in real-time. Partnering with Ericsson, they anticipated potential issues and prepared extensively.

The events, held in major urban areas, required robust connectivity throughout the year. Orange managed over 80,000 terabytes of streaming traffic, interconnected 120 sites, and installed 40 temporary mobile antennas to handle unpredictable traffic. The success of the event was marked by the ability of everyone to enjoy seamless connectivity, sharing their experiences with friends, family, and communities, fostering a positive spirit within the teams.

Ericsson heroes deliver a winning 5G performance

Ericsson played a significant role in a global sports event in Paris, mobilizing hundreds of engineers from France, Romania, India, and the global support organization. The main challenge was prioritizing venues that could be most impacted by network performance and proposing optimization ideas. The project involved coordinating delivery teams to ensure network monitoring, accurate site review reports, disaster recovery procedures, and proactive customer alignment.

The technical solutions included managed services, network optimization, and the implementation of disaster recovery procedures. The collaboration between Ericsson teams in France, Romania, Hungary, and global colleagues, along with the customer, made the project memorable. The next event will be in Italy, and the team aims to make it even more memorable.

The incredible teamwork and the "one Ericsson spirit" were always present, with colleagues and customers rising above the challenges. The event's success set a high bar for the upcoming winter event in Italy, where the team hopes to achieve even greater success.