The companies have commenced legal proceedings against the French state at the Administrative Court of Paris.
French news outlet L’Informe says the two operators are asking for financial compensation to enable them to swap their equipment and deploy 5G services.
Bouygues Telecom assessed its cost at €82 million stating that this only covers a small portion of the 3,000 antennas that will have to be replaced by 2028. Meanwhile, SFR’s claims have not been disclosed, but the operator has to replace more than 8,000 antennas by the same deadline.
France first implemented a de-facto ban on Huawei equipment in 2020, when ANSSI, France’s national cybersecurity agency, told operators that it will only grant licenses authorizing the use of Huawei equipment for three to eight years, with no renewal possible.
In 2021, France’s highest court backed this law, following an appeal raised by Bouygues Telecom and SFR.
