Mayor in Alpine Silicon Valley Wants France to Hit Brakes on 5G

  • Green party decries 5G’s impact on climate, human health
  • One mobile operator suggested government focus on 4G for now
Grenoble, France.Photographer: Jean-Pierre Clatot/AFP via Getty Images
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Grenoble is France’s answer to Silicon Valley, a tech hub where chipmaker STMicroelectronics NV is developing new wireless applications, Apple Inc. has an imaging unit in a former chocolate factory and China’s Huawei Technologies Co. is perfecting touch sensors.

For Eric Piolle, the mayor of the Alpine city and a rising star in the country’s Green party, making sure these companies have access to 5G communication networks is not a priority.