Vodafone Hungary will connect 5G at almost 200 base stations in and around Budapest.
As a result, 5G services will be made available to its customers in almost the entire capital.
Furthermore, the company has signed a cooperation agreement with the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME), under which it will provide 40 MHz of its own frequency pool for the establishment and operation of the university’s experimental 5G network and 5G Laboratory, thus contributing to the domestic 5G-based innovation and participation in the European Union’s 5G R&D programmes.
Vodafone Hungary was the first mobile operator in the country to launch its open-air 5G outdoor commercial service in 2019 in downtown Budapest thanks to its 3500 MHz frequency set purchased in 2016. In April 2020, it acquired additional frequencies for its 5G mobile services at the frequency auction conducted by NMHH, which enabled the island-like construction of the service provider’s 5G network to begin.
Commenting on the latest development, Gerg? J. Budai, vice chairman of the board of Vodafone Hungary, said: “The construction and hardware development of the affected base stations is almost complete, and in the coming weeks, after software testing, we will launch the service, which will allow hundreds of thousands to experience the amazing capabilities of the next-generation mobile network, taking another significant step to Hungary should be at the forefront of digital Europe”.
Balázs Károly Solymár, deputy secretary of state responsible for digitisation at the Ministry of Innovation and Technology, added: “One of the biggest challenges of our time is how to make the most of the opportunities offered by digitalisation. It can be seen that the state-of-the-art technologies of the 21st century, including developments based on the 5G mobile network, open up a new dimension for us, where innovation, society and economic contexts, growth opportunities offer a greater perspective than those previously known and exploited. The future belongs to modern technologies, which we will only be able to use if we put the developments into secure, expert hands, which today is sealed by a cooperation agreement between the technology provider and the expert higher education institution of the solutions. The Hungarian Government, the Ministry of Innovation and Technology are interested in concluding agreements supporting digital technologies that serve the development of Hungary, economic growth and the creation of solutions for the convenience of the population”.