Orange Slovakia has announced an ambitious plan to cover half the population of Slovakia with 5G network services by the end of
2025. Currently, its 5G coverage is at a quarter of the population and spans 140 towns and cities. To accommodate this increased coverage, Orange Group will be shutting down 2G and 3G networks in Europe over the next few years.
Eric Maintenay, CTIO from Orange Slovakia noted: “3G is used by fewer and fewer customers, even less than we expected”. This move allows for further exploration of newer network technologies for their customers with higher quality experiences and data-intensive IoT solutions as well as offsetting any negative impacts on the environment.
Orange plans to use frequency bands used in its 3G network particularly the 2,100MHz for its 5G network while other frequencies will be used for 4G. The next phase of deployment will focus on cities and locations that enable easier access for enterprises to tap into 5G and maximize its use.
The advanced capabilities associated with 5G technology are only just beginning to reveal themselves with potential applications such as AI-powered robots in operation rooms or remote drone deliveries in urban areas. To take full advantage of these possibilities, mobile operators must continue investing heavily into developing diversified innovative technologies.
With this new plan in place it looks like there is great potential for data-intensive solutions across a wider area in Europe when it comes to 5G technology! Orange’s significant development efforts have definitely put them ahead of market trends and we expect more exciting products from them around this space going forward!