Perched high in the Meudon forest, what secrets does this towering structure hold? This is the Tour Hertzienne de Meudon. It rises 70 meters into the sky. Add a 25-meter metallic pylon and its total height goes up to 95 meters. Its summit reaches an altitude of nearly 270 meters. From here, it is visible from Montmartre to Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.
The Tour Hertzienne de Meudon is a vital piece of French telecommunications history. Conceived by architect Pol Abraham, this tower was the first large hertzian tower built in France. It served as a model for many others. Construction finished in 1953. At that time, the Postes et Télécommunications ministry was implementing a new transmission mode. This new mode was the hertzian network.
Imagine a network of towers stretching across France. The PTT set up a relay tower every fifty kilometers. These towers linked Paris to major cities. Strasbourg, Lille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, and Marseille all connected. The Tour Hertzienne de Meudon played a central role.
Initially, the tower’s appearance sparked local debate. The press even compared it to a “candle worthy of Père Ubu”. Despite the criticism, the tower proved essential. It connected to the Saint-Amand center in Paris via an underground cable. This provided telephone and television channels.
Interestingly, contrary to popular belief, the Tour Hertzienne de Meudon did not broadcast Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. It was still under construction. Its hertzian equipment wasn’t operational yet. The nearby Tour Hertzienne de Cormeilles-en-Parisis handled the broadcast. It had been operational since June 1953.
The tower’s square shape is functional. It was designed to keep equipment as close as possible to the antennas. In the 1960s, additional buildings were added. Then, in the 1980s, an underground transmission room was built. A specialized “videotransmission” room followed in 1985. That same year, the 25-meter pylon was added for radiotelephone systems.
In May 1971, the Tour Hertzienne de Meudon achieved another milestone. It established the first telephone link via wave guide. This connected it to the Saint-Amand amplification center in Paris.
Today, the Tour Hertzienne de Meudon also supports mobile phone networks. Various operators use it for 2G, 3G, 4G, and FH services. Other transmissions include SFR, EDF, and TDF.
While the Tour Hertzienne de Meudon may not hold its former importance, it remains a key point in the Parisian region. Since 2005, TDF has used it to test Digital Radio Mondial broadcasts to Paris. Two AM radio stations still broadcast from Meudon. These are Radio Télérama and Radio Nouveaux Talents.
The Tour Hertzienne de Meudon stands as a testament to innovation. It reflects France’s commitment to progress in telecommunications. Next time you are in the Meudon forest, remember the stories it could tell.