Telekom opens its 5G network to all customers

From June – for the time being only on a promotional basis until August 31 – 5G-based mobile data transmission on Magyar Telekom’s network will not only be available to customers subscribing to the most expensive rate plans, and during this time the service provider will not ask its customers for any surcharge for using the new generation network, which in the last period, it gradually replaced its old infrastructure elements with more modern, energy-saving and software-definable devices.

At the company’s press conference today, Lubor Zatko, Deputy Chief Technical Officer of Telekom, announced that 75% of the entire mobile network will be modernized by the end of the year as part of the modernization phase lasting several years. The installation of new devices is accompanied by the wider introduction of new generation technologies – so, among other things, it is due to this that the 5G-based network – although not with the same parameters – will be available to 60% of the Hungarian population by the first of June.

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Magyar Telekom launched 5G-based access almost exactly three years ago, in April 2020, then only in Budapest and certain parts of Zalaegerszeg.

At first, the service provider only the so-called It provided the service in the C-band, one of the pioneering 5G bands, and since then the company has also taken the technology to many county seats, including new frequency bands in the radio environment (Telekom’s 5G technology on 700 MHz, 2100 MHz and the already mentioned It is available on 3600 MHz, with the current development, 5G is typically extended on the 700 MHz frequency).

Over the past years, not only the coverage of the service, but also the number of 5G-capable devices in the range has expanded significantly, as has the user base actively using the 5G network.

It says a lot about the change in device penetration that, while in April 2020 only two of the mobile phones in the service provider’s range were able to connect to a 5G network, today this number exceeds 40, and 26% of residential customers already use such smartphones.

At the same time, the service could typically only be used by subscribers to 5G-capable rate plans, regardless of whether they already had a 5G smartphone or were in a 5G coverage area. Until now, Telekom only offered 5G access in addition to data packages with unlimited data traffic, and it was possible to access more modern technology with a separate, monthly fee option, and the service was not available to dominoes at all.

Among Telekom’s two competitors, Vodafone Hungary also offers 5G access only by default in addition to the premium (Red) rate packages, while Yettel Hungary has provided 5G network access at no extra cost to all its monthly subscription customers since the beginning.