Telefónica O2 Czech Republic
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| Telefónica O2 Czech Republic, a.s. | |
| Type | Akciová společnost (Stock company) |
|---|---|
| Founded | ? |
| Headquarters | Žižkov, Prague, Czech Republic |
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Products | Voice, Internet access |
| Parent | Telefónica |
| Website | http://www.cz.o2.com/ |
Telefónica O2 Czech Republic is the largest telecommunications company in the Czech Republic. It operates the Czech fixed-line network, the only Czech CDMA network, one of the three Czech GSM networks and one of the three Czech UMTS networks. Previously two companies, fixed-line operator Český Telecom and mobile operator Eurotel, it was acquired by the Spanish company Telefónica in 2005 and merged into a single legal entity and given its present name on 1 July 2006. The company's CEO is Jaime Smith Basterra.
[edit] History
The company was initially known as SPT Telecom (Státní telekomunikační podnik, state-owned telecommunications company), and used to have a monopoly for providing fixed-line services. It was reorganized and renamed Český Telecom (Czech Telecom), after the Velvet Divorce saw Czechoslovakia separate into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993.
Its mobile subsidiary, Eurotel, was founded in 1990 as a joint venture between SPT (51%) and the American joint venture Atlantic West (between US WEST International, Inc. and Bell Atlantic International Inc.). On launch it received an exclusive five-year licence to operate a public data network, and a 20-year licence for the 450 MHz band to operate an analogue NMT mobile phone network, and automatically also a right to buy a licence to the future GSM network.
In 2001 it won a license to the third-generation UTMS network. It paid 1 billion korunas immediately, and promised to pay an additional 2.5 billion korunas annually. It also agreed to lauch the service commercially, at least in Prague, by 1 January 2005. In 2003, it received a one-year extension in exchange for faster payments. In 2005 it was granted another year-long extension due to the granting of a third licence to Vodafone. In the event, UMTS services launched on 1 November 2005. On 1 May 2006 the company launched HSDPA services on top of UMTS services.
In 2004 it launched CDMA/1xEV-DO broadband wireless service (data-only) at 450 MHz, leveraging its legacy NMT network.
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