Paris, Monday, June 29, 2015

• From 4 - 26 July, Orange, an official partner of the Tour de France, has set up large-scale infrastructure to bring you the best of the competition live.
• Orange is deploying highly advanced, tailor-made telecoms solutions throughout the Tour to ensure the race runs smoothly and can be broadcast around the world.

On-board connected devices throughout the Tour

For each stage of the Tour, Orange will deploy connected devices for healthcare and well-being to improve your everyday life, enhance performance, and view your efforts in an enjoyable way. A sports coach will demonstrate the connected devices for cycling and other sports in general:

• The D-shirt that measures your heart rate, speed, distance and even your pedalling rate.
• A connected bicycle pedal to measure your movement and performance.
• connected watch and weather station.

There will also be 8 official cars and 3 Orange cars equipped with the Airbox Auto allowing car passengers to remain connected via Wi-Fi while on the move.

All the news about the Tour de France on your PC, mobile and tablet

Orange is offering a multi-platform system for cycling lovers to follow the stages of the Tour live from their computer on the Orange website http://tourdefrance.sports.orange.fr. On mobiles and tablets, users can access all kinds of Tour de France content including: - the best videos of the event (race summaries, stage-by-stage analyses, each day's scenery, etc.) - all the information on the 2015 route - live commentary of every stage of the race - updated rankings of each cyclist - slide shows of the day’s best photos Orange is also releasing the official Tour de France 2015 application, available to all users and in association with the Amaury Sport Organisation, presenting the best of the Tour on smartphones and tablets. The application is available for iOS and Android devices. Cycling fans can get all the information on the Tour in real-time and follow the race on an interactive map showing the distance between cyclists and their rankings. A notification system is also available to keep up to date on all the latest news.

Orange technology for the Tour de France

For over 15 years, Orange has mobilised more than 40 experts and all its technological expertise to provide a tailored communications system that lives up to the demands of such a grand sporting event.

New this year

• Orange has set up an experimental solar-powered Wi-Fi hotspot using Orange’s Femtocell to strengthen the local mobile signal. Orange is also providing Wi-Fi coverage in each starting village by deploying around twelve aerials and equipment that can provide the equivalent of 20 Mbit/s.
• 3 racers will be fitted with a camera and microphone to allow reporters in the press room to interview them live and by videoconference upon arrival.
• Orange is rising to new technological challenges with a 10 Gb fibre optical Ethernet link along the 140 km between Alpe d’Huez and the Grenoble-Saint-Geoirs airport to broadcast the race on television live around the world.

Every year, Orange makes the best of its technology available for the Tour de France, including:

• 4 highly complex locations to equip, particularly in mountainous regions: La Pierre Saint Martin, Le Plateau de Beille, Pra Loup, Alpe d’Huez.
• The installation of a new and more powerful fibre optical network in all of the arrival towns (press room and technical facilities area) with eight dedicated Wi-Fi networks. Professionals - including the organisers, reporters, TV stations, photographers, and commentators - will have access to upload and download speeds of up to 200 Mbit/s, allowing simultaneous usage, instantaneous communication and optimal user comfort.
• High-definition videoconferencing with speeds of 20 Mbit/s linking the interview bus at the finish line to the press room.
• The installation of Livebox Play in the press room and technical facilities with download speeds of up to 200 Mbit/s and upload speeds of up to 50 Mbit/s - 10 times faster than ADSL.

For the 102nd edition, the Tour de France will go through 23 cities covered by Orange 4G : 21 starting towns* as well as Pierrefitte-Nestalas and Grenoble which each have a press room for the event.

• Cambrai, Arras, Amiens, Abbeville, Le Havre, Fougères, Rennes, Vannes, Tarbes, Pau, Cauterets, Lannemezan, Rodez, Mende, Valence, Gap, Digne-les-Bains, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, Alpe d’Huez, Sèvres and Paris Champs Elysées.