Digital Landscape in the Czech Republic

PROSPECTS

Mobile and fixed internet speed grow but at a slower pace than the rest of the world

According to the Czech Telecommunications Office, 32% of households connect to the internet through local wi-fi providers, 25% through xDSL,18% through fibre-optic connections (FTTH), 17% through cable connections (CATV) and 9% through mobile fixed LTE. The office reports particularly strong year-on-year growth in fibre-optic connections, which saw its share increase by almost four percentage points.

Unlimited mobile data introduced but packages are expensive and complicated

2019 saw the introduction of unlimited mobile data tariffs of various speeds by all three mobile operators. Vodafone launched unlimited mobile data as the first operator in June.

Spectrum auctions postponed to mid-2020 with delays to 5G launch expected

The Czech Telecommunications Office postponed spectrum auctions for licensed usage of 700MHz and 3.5GHz frequency bands to the first quarter of 2020.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Czech mobile telecommunications market struggles to attract fourth operator

Postponement of spectrum auctions was partly caused by the inability of the auction to attract a fourth operator that would dilute the tight grip of T-Mobile, O2 and Vodafone on the Czech mobile telecommunications market. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the arrival of a fourth operator would hopefully bring down mobile data prices and increase mobile internet speed.

Vodafone absorbs UPC while Nordic Telecom completely takes over Libli

Vodafone’s EUR19 billion acquisition of Liberty Global's cable business, including UPC in the Czech Republic, was approved by the European Commission in July 2019. The UPC brand will eventually be replaced by the unified Vodafone brand across all services, increasing the Vodafone customer base by 1.

5G networks being tested by all operators in several Czech cities and towns

In December 2019, from over 60 government tender participants, five Czech cities were selected for 5G network testing – Bilina, Jesenik, Karlovy Vary, Plzen and Usti nad Labem. In conjunction with the aforementioned mobile operators, the cities are expected to develop smart city solutions with the help of 5G technology.

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