O2 is planning to roll out the first commercial 5G mobile service in parts of the Czech Republic. Beginning July 1, O2 will launch a 5G network in Prague and Kolín (Central Bohemia).
The network will operate at a frequency of 3.7 GHz with a transfer speed of 500 to 800 Mbps. The technology is currently supplied by Nokia in Kolín and Huawei in Prague, but the provider for the final launch of the 5G network has still to be decided.
Coverage will be limited in the beginning, and be available to around 15 percent of Prague residents during the summer, specifically in the Old and New Towns, Vinohrady, Nusle, Dejvice, and Bubeneč. The signal will be supplied by approximately 50 base stations.
“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,” said O2 CEO Jindrich Fremuth.
Only a limited number of mobile phones will support 5G technology, namely the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G and Samsung Galaxy S20 + 5G. More models will be added by the end of the year.
A trial package will be available for customers on an unlimited NEO Gold, Platinum or FREE + Bronze, Silver or Gold tariff from July.
O2 is the first mobile operator in the Czech Republic to start offering 5G services commercially. Competitors such as Vodafone and T-Mobile have already begun testing their 5G networks in various parts of the country.
