The acquisition of 1,226 properties by Phoenix Tower International to deploy telecommunications infrastructure around the city is being closely monitored by French authorities.
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| [Paris skyline/The Dronalist] |
An American firm's plans to conduct rooftop surveillance in Paris have raised concerns in France. Phoenix Tower International has applied for a permit to buy 1,226 properties in the nation's capital in order to build telecommunications infrastructure, and the government is keeping a close eye on the company's progress. Two agencies of the Ministry of Economy, the Control of Foreign Investments and the Strategic Information and Economic Security Service, are reportedly looking into the incident, as reported by Le Monde.
In reality, the purchase of the infrastructure would give the American multinational access to roughly 600 rooftops in the capital, which, according to an expert quoted in Le Monde, would cover roughly 97% of the surface area of Paris and allow for the installation of listening devices like Imsi-catchers, small devices capable of intercepting all electronic communications made via mobile phone (calls, SMS, Internet traffic, etc.).
Dozens of these properties, especially in the 7th and 8th arrondissements, are situated in very visible areas, adjacent to ministries, administrations, embassies, or the headquarters of important enterprises. To Le Monde's inquiry, the Ministry of Economy said, "the transaction for the purchase by Phoenix Tower International of flat roofs in Paris from the Cellnex company was carefully monitored by the state." The Ministry of Economy has the authority to oppose the transactions for reasons of national security.
Continues Bercy, "the state services worked with the company to identify the risks associated with the use of flat roofs in France, to identify the measures to be taken to reduce these risks and to preserve the fundamental interests of defense and national security." Bercy does not reveal the nature of the planned measures or the state of the investigation. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure simply stated that it wants to "guarantee that access to passive infrastructure sites (the rooftops, ed) is preserved at the same high degree of security to protect the integrity of electronic communications networks."
Due to "confidentiality laws related with these proceedings," Phoenix Tower International's French management team has refused to comment on the situation. In only five years since its inception in 2013, the firm has established itself as a global market leader in the telecoms industry. Blackstone, an American investment firm that oversees more than $950 billion (€963 billion), provides the bulk of its funding and is the majority owner. France has been a key market for Phoenix Tower International. To become "one of the biggest independent wireless infrastructure providers in the nation," the firm has created a joint venture with Bouygues Telecom to purchase an additional 2,000 sites.