Paegas Network to Begin Working in the 1800 Mhz Band on July 8^th

• as of the beginning of July 2000 the Paegas network will be completely dual (GSM 900 and GSM 1800)
• customers will not notice any changes when services in the 1800 MHz band begin
• during the first five months the number of cells grew by nearly 30 percent

At the beginning of July 2000 RadioMobil will begin using transmitters in the 1800 MHz band as well, thus making Paegas GSM a dual network. At the same time, the number of cells has been growing steadily since the year began, increasing by 30 percent in the GSM 900 network during the first five months alone. Launching transmitters in the 1800 MHz band will signify a further significant increase in the number of cells in the Paegas network. At the same time, customers will not notice the change, as all services will continue to work in just the same way as they do in the 900 MHz band. "We have been preparing for GSM 1800 for a long time now. After all, it was in 1998 that we launched test operations of a dual network at the ComNet trade fair, and we offered dual network services to all visitors at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the middle of 1998. In November of last year the Czech Telecommunications Bureau decided that RadioMobil could test a dual network for the entire CR beginning in January, and start offering services to all customers in both networks beginning in July," said RadioMobil spokeswoman Tereza Kakosová.

Today customers can choose from among nearly 30 dual telephones in the Paegas sales network. Such units were already in the majority among telephones offered by Paegas last year, and so they are now quite widespread among customers. At present, only two mobile telephones in the Paegas sales network are not dual: the popular Nokia 5110 and the Nokia 9110 communicator. All other types are dual, and so their owners may make use of both the GSM 900 and GSM 1800 networks. "Although customers will not notice any difference, thanks to the added band the Paegas network can continue growing at the same pace as before, since the added frequency permits a considerably higher capacity, which is also necessary for launching new services like GPRS," Tereza Kakosová added.

Since 1998 RadioMobil has made several successful tests of GSM network operations in the 1800 MHz band. The GSM standard is able to work with transmitters and telephones of three different frequencies: 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz. In Europe, only GSM 900 and GSM 1800 are used. However, the basic infrastructure is the same, only the kinds of antennas and mobile telephones used are different. Customers with telephones that work only in the 900 MHz band may continue to use GSM services without limitations of any kind.

 

The joint-stock company RadioMobil is the operator of the most dynamically growing GSM network in the Czech Republic. At the end of 1999, the Paegas brands share of the market amounted to 47%, and the share of its Paegas Twist pre-paid services even reached over 60%. During 1999 more than 500,000 new customers decided to use its services, which is the highest such figure in the history of mobile communications in the CR. The Paegas GSM network, which is operated by RadioMobil, is among the most technologically advanced in the world and has no rival on the Czech market for a whole range of services.

Only in the Paegas network can literally all customers, including owners of pre-paid Paegas Twist cards, make use of the most up-to-date services: completely cost-free data and fax transmissions, GSM banking, WAP-based services, Paegas Assistant and others. Currently, only RadioMobil offers the option of ordering services or monitoring billing over the Internet, thanks to the Paegas Info Profile service. And customers can always be sure that they have chosen the most effective operator on the Czech market.

RadioMobil can fully rely on its shareholders: ÄŚeské radiokomunikace - 51% (during 2001 its share will decrease to 39.2%, following exercise of an option by the CMobil consortium) and the CMobil consortium - 49% (beginning in 2001, 60.8%). The CMobil consortium is made up of the following: T-Mobil - a 100%-owned daughter company of Deutsche Telekom (85.55%), TIM - Telecom Italia Mobile (12%), as well as SKS - SpoĹ?itelní kapitálová spoleÄŤnost, a.s. and PVT, a.s.

Today the Paegas GSM network covers more than 99% of the Czech population and 99.8% of category 1 roadways. RadioMobil customers can use their mobile telephones in the networks of 179 operators in nearly 80 countries all over the world (108 different locations in all). During 1999 RadioMobil invested more than 5.5 billion Czech crowns into its network, and investment for the year 2000 is planned at over 10 billion. In May 2000 Paegas services were used by over 1,150,000 customers. During the first five months of this year Paegas registered 300,000 new customers.

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.