O2 to Launch 5G Network in Parts of Prague

Starting 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 not yet been determined.

O2 has thus become the first major mobile network provider in the country to offer 5G to its clients.

Coverage will be limited in the very 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 condition is that the customer needs to have an unlimited NEO Gold, Platinum or FREE + Bronze, Silver or Gold tariff.

However, only a limited number of mobile phones will support 5G technology, namely Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G, and Samsung Galaxy S20 + 5G models. More model will be added by the end of the year.

The signal will be supplied by approximately 50 base stations.

O2 CR has struggled to improve revenue growth in recent years, and in response it has transitioned itself to face market challenges. Among the changes was its reorganization into separate business divisions and the spinning off of CETIN as a separate unit to manage the fixed and mobile networks while also operating as a national wholesale network provider.

The Czech telecoms market is currently dominated by three companies: O2 Czech Republic, T-Mobile, and Vodafone.