Along the railway lines, relay antennas cause discord between telephone operators and residents. However, there is a coverage obligation, imposed by the State as part of the New Mobile Deal.
With the New Mobile Deal, the operators Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and to a lesser extent Free Mobile have the obligation to cover a majority of everyday trains in very high speed (4G), along the railway lines, by December 31, 2025, in the same way as the main roads. However, the increase in requests for the installation of relay antennas in municipalities located parallel to or near the rails linking Nantes to Paris annoys both town halls and residents. Some people oppose it.
The pressure is strong on the municipalities crossed by the railway lines
The municipalities of Oudon, Loireauxence, Vair-sur-Loire, Le Cellier and the aptly named Montrelais are located in Loire-Atlantique and are all crossed by the Nantes-Paris railway, as well as the A11 motorway. In terms of mobile equipment, the pressure on site is growing, since the railway must be 90% equipped by the end of 2025.
In the Ancenis region, requests for the installation of relay antennas are increasing. Elected officials from the municipalities crossed, such as the mayor of Montrelais, Joël Jamin, deplore the pressure from telephone operators. His village is literally cut in two by the SNCF. Christine Blanchet, the councilor of Loireauxence, confirms the increase in requests, obviously linked to the obligation of coverage along the railway lines.
Town halls have the possibility of refusing the installation of an antenna, yes, but if the project is planned on private land, and the latter falls within the framework of the local town planning plan, the community does not have to other choice than to accept it.
The town of Oudon rebels against Free Mobile
Imagine that in the country of Ancenis alone, no less than 31 requests for the installation of relay antennas were received between January 2021 and July 2023, or around one per month! 14 of these applications are located near the railway line. Mayors refused, citing environmental concerns.
In Oudon for example, town hall Alain Bourgoin is fighting against a 33 meter high pylon project carried by Free Mobile. Here, the first magistrate of the commune invoked the natural and ecological interest of the Loire valley. But despite this, the Nantes administrative court ruled in favor of the operator in summary proceedings, on the grounds of urgency and the public interest in covering the region.
The work has still not started, and the Nantes court must still issue a ruling on the merits within a few months. Almost a small victory for opponents of the project. Especially since the town of Oudon has received a distinction (Lock Valley Lock classification) which could well help it in the coming months.
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Source : West France
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