Czech mobile operators O2 and T-Mobile have signed an agreement to share 4G networks which they contend will enable them to boost the rollout of high-speed broadband services.
The companies said the pact will allow them to roll out 4G services more…
Czech mobile operators O2 and T-Mobile have signed an agreement to share 4G networks which they contend will enable them to boost the rollout of high-speed broadband services.
The companies said the pact will allow them to roll out 4G services more quickly than required under the conditions of the recent spectrum, and better maintain their networks.
T-Mobile CEO Milan Vasina described the signing of the pact as a “strategic step” that extends the companies’ existing 2G and 3G network sharing agreements.
“On top of a faster high-speed broadband rollout, the agreement will also bring savings that will allow further investment into networks and services,” he said.
O2, controlled by Petr Kellner’s investment group PPF, and T-Mobile, part of the Deutsche Telekom group, announced in February that they were discussing sharing 4G networks. They plan to conduct technical tests over the coming weeks ahead of a commercial launch in the second half of the year.
The agreement will apply to the whole of the Czech Republic, excluding Prague and Brno. O2 will run and maintain the network in the country’s east, while T-Mobile will look after it in the west.
The operators will continue to use their own core network infrastructure and retain independent business strategies.
O2 is the nation’s largest operator, followed by T-Mobile and Vodafone’s local unit.
