The rollout of 5G represents a significant advancement in the telecommunications industry, offering the potential for markedly enhanced speeds, reduced latency, and improved connectivity. Considering these anticipated advantages, it is interesting to understand the progressive adoption of the new technology by operators and their subscribers. In this paper, we analyze the evolution and current operation of the nation-wide 5G network of Orange, a leading mobile operator in France. By inspecting longitudinal data about (i) the over-five-year-long development of the country-wide 5G radio access infrastructure and (ii) the last two years of 5G traffic demands, we unveil how the operator has planned the deployment of the 5G radio access and characterize the actual usage patterns of the available 5G infrastructure. We also investigate the recent introduction of a 5G Standalone (SA) commercial service and its adoption by the mobile subscribers. We show that by mid 2025, the 5G network under study has achieved substantial coverage of populated areas and the operator has very recently started adding capacity layers to its 5G radio access. However, our investigation reveals that such massive infrastructure deployment efforts are not matched by a commensurate adoption of the technology by the end users, as the 5G capacity –especially for SA– stays largely underutilized.

About Máximo Pirri

Máximo Pirri is a second year PhD student at IMDEA Networks Institute, working on uncovering insights into the spatial, temporal, and service-level dynamics of mobile traffic. By modeling these dynamics, the research aims to optimize 5G networks, improving resource management and enhancing user experience. Before his PhD, Máximo earned an Engineering degree from Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de la República, where he also worked on a project addressing resource allocation issues among slices in 5G networks. Additionally, he collaborated in teaching courses related to data networks and information theory.

Este evento se impartirá en inglés