March - the month of the internet: T-Mobile EDGE still at the same price as GPRS
Public 02.03.2005 in category Press News / Services, Pricing, Handsets
- The first phase of EDGE implementation completed, coverage of further locations to follow
- Unlimited price plans remain unchanged
Prague, 1 March 2005 - At the end of February this year, T-Mobile completed the first phase of EDGE implementation in its network. Customers can now use EDGE technology in the vast majority of the territory of six large cities - Prague, Brno, Ostrava, Olomouc, Ceske Budejovice and Pilsen, which represents the widest availability of EDGE technology in the Czech Republic.
The first implementation phase in the largest cities involved significant investment, as it was necessary to upgrade all base stations and other network elements in the given areas. This meant several hundred BTSs in Prague alone. At the same time, the large number of base stations resulted in a significant capacity, which is available in the network for data (and voice) transmission and which ensures the expected quality of service even during peak hours. When implementing EDGE, T-Mobile focused not only on maximizing the coverage but also on the investment involved in increasing the capacity of a number of network elements, thereby allowing further significant growth of the number of customers using data transmission in our network.
T-Mobile EDGE was very positively received and so the operator has decided to continue implementing the technology in additional areas this year. EDGE coverage will thus be extended to several dozen towns and cities in the course of 2005. Implementation in smaller towns involves only dozens of BTSs, which means that the network upgrade is much less time-consuming. T-Mobile also wants to meet the needs of customers in smaller towns and villages who often cannot use another data transfer technology. Therefore, T-Mobile EDGE will also be available outside large cities, particularly in areas where there is already a strong demand for GPRS transmission. Customers will be kept informed of newly covered areas at www.t-mobile.cz.
An extra fee of CZK 200 for the full data transmission speed via T-Mobile EDGE, which was to be introduced as of 1 April 2005 for so-called unlimited tariffs, will not be introduced at this time. The reason is that T-Mobile wants to offer the chance to test the service free of charge even to customers in newly covered areas. Customers will be able to use the full speed of EDGE within unlimited tariffs without any extra fees at least until the middle of this year. The amount of the monthly fee for unlimited internet and WAP access via GPRS/EDGE thus starts at as little as CZK 649 excl. VAT per month.
T-Mobile currently offers three types of unlimited data tariffs for both postpaid customers and prepaid card owners.
a) Data Unlimited Special for CZK 649/month (772.30 incl. VAT, with a commitment to use the tariff for a period of one year; the tariff also includes 80 free minutes within the T-Mobile network)
b) Data Unlimited or the Unlimited add-on to a standard tariff for CZK 699/month (831.80 incl. VAT)
c) Prepaid Twist Data Unlimited tariff - CZK 850 incl. VAT/month
In areas not yet covered by the EDGE signal, T-Mobile customers can use the fastest GPRS in the Czech market. The combination of extensive coverage and price terms thus offers the most favourable mobile internet offer in the Czech market.
Further elements of T-Mobile's data strategy include the implementation of a Fair User Policy restricting the overloading of the technology by users transferring extreme volumes of data via GPRS/EDGE, including the introduction of the above-mentioned extra fee for the highest speeds.
About the Company
T-Mobile Czech Republic has been operating in the Czech market since 1996. As of 30 September 2011, almost 5.4 million customers were using T-Mobile services.
T-Mobile operates a public mobile communications network on the GSM and UMTS standards. Since 1 January 2008, T-Mobile has been offering fixed data and voice telecommunications services. In 2009, T-Mobile extended its portfolio to include ICT services and, since November 2010, the operator also offers the T-Mobile TV satellite television service.
T-Mobile has always focused on the quality of offered services. Independent tests have repeatedly confirmed that T-Mobile is the quality leader in 2G and 3G (UMTS FDD) data services, as well as in GSM voice services.
Since its establishment, the company has placed emphasis on excellent customer service and proper conduct towards business partners, employees and the environment. T-Mobile has received, among other awards, the VIA Bona 2009 award for the involvement of its employees in philanthropic and volunteer activities.
T-Mobile is a member of the international telecommunications group Deutsche Telekom. Thanks to the group’s international presence, customers can count on the worldwide availability of their favourite services and enjoy uniform, favourable prices of calls when abroad.
For more information about the company, please visit t-press.cz or www.t-mobile.cz.
