Orange chose Nokia and Ericsson to deploy 5g networks for its home market in France, as Huawei still faces device security scrutiny in Europe.
Orange explained in a statement that it chose suppliers after months of testing, and signed contracts with both suppliers to provide a full range of products and services to support the deployment of 5g across France.
Cooperation with Nokia is mainly in the West and southeast of France, where the company has provided 2G, 3G and 4G wireless access networks.
Ericsson will deploy equipment in France and in the northeast and southwest, where it has operations.
Fabienne Dulac, orange's chief executive, said the 5g deployment "represents a huge challenge and is one of the main priorities of our engage 2025 strategic plan.".
The company is expected to launch a commercial 5g service in France this year, once French regulators hold a spectrum auction in March.
In the week of orange's decision, Huawei attracted attention for its 5g business in the European mainland.
The British government allowed Huawei to continue to provide 5g network equipment for the country, but excluded it from the core network, and set a 35% share limit for wireless access network.
The European Commission also issued a series of guidelines to Member States on the security of 5g networks, which did not force Huawei to be banned, saying that it was up to governments to determine the role of the supplier.
At the end of 2019, Stephen Richard, then chief executive of orange, said Huawei might play a role in the deployment of the carrier. In testimony to French politicians, Reuters reported, he said some of Huawei's allegations were "completely nonsense.".
