The Czech Republic has joined the list of 5G countries. The first commercial 5G network has been launched on July 1st in two central cities. While the 5G infrastructure for the residential Kolin has been set up in collaboration with Nokia, the capital city Prague is running on Huawei technologies. The network is operating at a frequency of 3.7 GHz with a transfer speed of 500 to 800 Mbps.
The 5G connection in both cities is still rather limited and only available to around 15 percent of Prague residents living in the most populated parts of downtown and nearby residential areas. The signal is currently supplied by approximately 50 base stations. To connect to the speedy 5G mobile internet, customers need a smartphone supporting 5G technology in addition to coverage, and a tariff package. This package is currently provided by O2 Czech Republic, making it the first operator in the Czech Republic to have passed this milestone. Competitors such as Vodafone and T-Mobile have meanwhile begun testing their 5G networks in various parts of the country.
The potential of 5G networks is most frequently showcased in connection with the arrival of Industry 4.0. Users and industries will benefit not only from high transmission speeds, but most importantly from low latency. 5G will allow for the existence of digitalized production lines and will bring greater involvement of robotic systems. Major shifts may occur in medicine or the automotive industry, allowing for remote surgery or autonomous vehicles. A massive development is expected in the section of IoT (Internet of Things).
An auction of frequencies for the allocation of 5G networks in the Czech Republic is due to be held. The Czech Telecommunication Office (ČTÚ) is expected to open the auction during the upcoming summer months. The ultimate technology provider for the country-wide launch of the 5G networks has not yet been determined.
