A key player in the telecom infrastructure & services sector, Cellnex France is helping build the future of connectivity through telecom sites, local data centers, and thousands of kilometers of deployed fiber networks. With an investment of €11 Bn to date and an upcoming project with the Grand Paris Express, Managing Director Vincent Cuvillier sat down with us to discuss Paris Region’s dynamic market and why it is the ideal location for a successful expansion.

Can you tell us about Cellnex Telecom, its activities in France and more specifically in Paris Region?

Cellnex Telecom is an independent telecom infrastructure operator, the leader in Europe. The company is based in Barcelona and has been present in France since 2016. Our market is extremely dynamic in France. We work with the four major telecom operators, three of which are also present in Europe.

Through Cellnex France, which I manage, Cellnex has invested over €11 billion to date. Our goal is to soon reach a turnover of 1 billion euros and a workforce of 300 people.

What led Cellnex Telecom to set up in Paris Region?

Paris Region and the Hauts-de-Seine department in particular was an obvious choice for us. First of all, we wanted to take advantage of being close to our main partners' decision-making centers, especially the operators.

Secondly, Cellnex is a company with a strong historical presence in large cities and high-density areas.

Currently, Cellnex has several thousand telecom sites all over France, local data centers, and thousands of kilometers of deployed fiber networks. In addition, Cellnex was selected by the Société du Grand Paris in September 2021 to deploy an indoor DAS (Distributed Antenna System) network for lines 16 and 17 of the Grand Paris Express which are planned for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

In this context, Choose Paris Region introduced us to the deeptech ecosystem in Paris Region and connected us to the stakeholders in the Region's economic development (competitiveness clusters, institutions and local authorities, innovative companies, etc.), thereby boosting our local presence.

How would you describe the talent and workforce in Paris Region? What are your recruitment plans?

Since 2016, we have needed to be able to recruit a wide range of profiles in telecoms, data or fiber businesses, as well as in real estate and more traditional support functions.

Today, we have ambitious recruitment prospects. After having recruited 70 people in 2021, we plan to add 40 new employees in 2022. The fact that we are located in Boulogne-Billancourt (92) gives us access to a particularly dynamic job market, especially in the telecom sector.

What 3 words would you choose to describe Paris Region?

I would start with dynamic because that's a good definition of our Region, which is reflected in the Grand Paris projects or the coming of the Olympic Games in 2024.

Secondly, the diversity that characterizes Paris and Paris Region so well. This is an essential aspect for Cellnex, which has always chosen to value diversity. In our French offices alone, there are no less than 14 different nationalities represented. Cellnex also chooses to promote other types of diversity by partnering with initiatives such as Emmaus Connect, which fights against the digital divide, or by launching the Youth Challenge, an initiative aimed at fighting school dropout and promoting youth employment.

Lastly, "economic lung" because the economic heart of our country beats in Paris and Paris Region. In addition, it's one of the few cities that can be described as a "global and multicultural city", just like the city of Barcelona where Cellnex has its roots.

Subscribe to the 'Digital Revolution' newsletter