Paegas dominates the mobile communications market in the Czech Republic

• By the end of November, the number of Paegas customers had more than doubled since the beginning of the year, and the number of customers is growing at a sharply faster rate than the number of customers of the competitor operator
• Frequency Hopping technology has boosted even further the advantages of the Paegas network in terms of call quality and capacity
• According to the GSM Association (GSM MoU), Paegas is the best GSM network in the world in the field of technological innovation

During the first 11 months of 1999, almost 400,000 people decided to become Paegas customers: in other words, 56 per cent of all new mobile telephone owners opted for Paegas. By the end of November, there were more than 760,000 customers of the Paegas GSM network, and there are now a total of 1,660,000 people using mobile telephones on the three networks currently functioning in the Czech Republic, which means that market penetration has reached 16.12 per cent. "The enormous interest in our services is proof of their high quality and the result of the application of the very latest technology, a wide selection of services, a successful marketing strategy and our friendly approach in terms of customer relations," said Tereza Kakosová, press spokeswoman for RadioMobil a.s. Moreover, the number of customers who have de-activated Paegas network services is three times lower than the number who have de-activated services at the competitor operator. The de-activation rate at Paegas is one of the lowest in the world.

As well as the growth in the number of customers, the number of cells is also being increased, and a total of 3,000 were in place in October. At the beginning of December, there was a significant increase in the number of transmitters (BTS): there are now 1,700, and the number will increase by more than 100 in December alone. By the end of this year, the total sum of money invested by RadioMobil a.s. into the GSM infrastructure will have exceeded 6 billion Czech crowns, a figure that is 20 per cent higher than the total investment of the competitor operator into its two mobile telephone networks (GSM and NMT analogue). RadioMobil a.s. is consequently one of the biggest investors in the Czech Republic.

"In addition to the further expansion of the Paegas GSM network, we are devoting investment into new technologies, such as GPRS, WAP, Internet calling (a ground-breaking service launched on the Czech market by RadioMobil), and a whole range of other services. Thanks to these innovations, the Paegas network is one of only a few in the whole world that is now regarded as a network of the second-and-a-half generation in mobile communications," explained Tereza Kakosová. Frequency Hopping technology, which has been introduced in the biggest Czech cities, is improving call quality and, at the same time, significantly increasing the capacity of the GSM network.

RadioMobils activities in the field of new technology were recognised at the annual conference of the GSM Association (GSM MoU) which represents all operators, manufacturers and other institutions active in the GSM sector, when RadioMobil was presented with the award for Best Technological Innovation by a GSM Operator. A whole range of further prizes have been awarded to the operator of the Paegas GSM network, both at home in the Czech Republic and at conferences abroad. RadioMobil was recently placed sixth in the Czech Top 100 survey, where the company was the only mobile telephone network operator to feature in the top ten. A few weeks ago, in the Image Sensor survey, the public chose RadioMobil as the second most go-ahead company in the Czech Republic - and as one of the most popular companies in the country. "The most important prize for us, however, is the acclaim of the public and the constant growth in the number of our customers," said Tereza Kakosová.

RadioMobil a.s. is the operator of the GSM network called Paegas. The Paegas GSM network now covers more than 99% of the Czech Republic. Customers can now take their Paegas GSM mobile telephones to 75 different countries around the world and use roaming services via 156 operators. RadioMobil is thus the unequivocal leader in the number of roaming partners. At the end of November, there were more than 760,000 customers of the Paegas GSM network.

T-Mobile Czech Republic, a member of the international telecommunications group Deutsche Telekom, has almost 6.2 million customers, the number-one operator in the Czech market. T-Mobile is an integrated operator: in addition to telecommunications services, it offers comprehensive ICT solutions not only for companies, but also for other organizations and individuals. It provides outstanding services in the high-speed network, which was proved repeatedly by benchmark testing performed by umlaut (former P3) with Best-in-Test seal.

T-Mobile Czech Republic places emphasis on taking a responsible approach to the environment and society. It adheres to fair business practices, helps beneficial applications and services to see the light of day, supports non-profit organizations, small businesses and individuals, and lends a helping hand whenever crisis situations arise. The company’s employees serve as volunteers in many places across the entire Czech Republic.

More information about the company is available at www.t-mobile.cz, www.t-press.cz (the portal for journalists) and www.t-mobile.cz/pomahame (information on the company’s CSR activities).

Contact details of the press unit: press@t-press.cz.