O2 has become the first operator in the Czech Republic to launch a commercial 5G service.
Starting this summer, its new 5G mobile network will become available in central Prague and Kolin, covering around 15% of the capital’s population.
Commenting on the development, O2 Czech’s CEO Jindrich Fremuch said: “The new generation of mobile network will offer up to ten times the connection speed of a commonly available 4G network. However, 5G is not just about faster downloads. In real-world customer traffic, we now want to test how the network works under load and elements of smart cities and in other strategic areas for the economy.
“We are entering countries where the 5G network will become available to ordinary customers. Whether and how the expansion of the service will continue also depends on conditions of the auction of frequencies, the current form of which, however, does not support meaningful investment in further construction”.
O2 Czech is building its 5G network with Cetin. It launched 5G in Cologne last year with Ericsson and continues test with various partners including Huawei and Nokia.