Vodafone is continuing rollout of its 3G network in the Czech Republic, aiming to cover 60 cities, including all the regional capitals, by the end of 2010. This will expand its 3G coverage to more than 30% of the population by the end of 2010. Currently, the operator combines its 3G services with access to MobilKom's CDMA data network.

Vodafone, thanks to an agreement with MobilKom, significantly expands its high-speed mobile Internet. From today, its customers will be able to benefit not only from its expanding 3G network coverage, but also from MobilKom's data network based on CDMA technology. Vodafone also offers customers a special price combo modem to connect to a laptop computer that automatically, in areas covered by 3G signal connects to 3G and in other areas, it seeks a CDMA network. 80% of the population can thus benefit from Vodafone's data with a realistic speed of 300 Kbps to 2000 Kbps.

"Our current priority is to offer our customers the fastest mobile Internet possible, and to that end, we are now also using the CDMA network from MobilKom. At the same time, however, we are continuing the intensive construction of 3G networks and, by the end of 2010, we want this technology to cover 60 towns, including all the regional capitals," says Vice-President for Strategy and Planning at Vodafone, Colin Shea.

"We are pleased that Vodafone was the first of the big companies to take advantage of our wholesale offer, which shares the official infrastructure for MobilKom and allows them to offer mobile Internet to customers under their own brand name. Similar cooperation between two operators in the Czech Republic is quite unique, while bringing considerable benefits to customers," says Tomáš Budník, CEO of MobilKom.

Priced from only CZK 77, Vodafone customers can now buy a special Vodafone Mobile Connect modem combo, which supports EDGE, CDMA and 3G and therefore finds the fastest available mobile connection in the area and automatically connects to it. With CDMA technology, customers don't pay anything extra, they will be able to use the 'Steady Connect' tariff for the same price as before, i.e. CZK 525 per 3 gigabytes FUP or for CZK 472.50 with the 'My Way' service.

Vodafone’s current mobile Internet coverage in the Czech Republic:

• 3G - more than 30% of the population, by the end of 2010, sixty cities, including regional capitals
• CDMA – 75% population coverage by the U:fon mobile network
• EDGE – 95% of the Czech population

Modem price:

About Vodafone Czech Republic

Vodafone (originally Oskar) won its license to operate a mobile GSM telecommunications network in October 1999. Shortly thereafter, it became the fastest growing operator and set a new record in the history of GSM – in 9 months it covered 98% of the Czech population with its signal. In 2002, the company reached the one million-customer mark and, in 2005, it became part of the world’s leading telecommunications company, Vodafone Group. Today, it provides services for 3.007 million corporate and retail customers. The company is also active in corporate social responsibility and, in 2006, established the Vodafone Czech Republic Foundation, through which it has already distributed more than CZK 50 million to the nonprofit sector.

About MobilKom

MobilKom, a.s., has been a Czech mobile operator since May 2007, under the name U:fon, offering fast and cheap mobile Internet and voice services. Its technology CDMA2000 EVDO Revision A is a third generation data network comparable to UMTS or O2 CDMA. Building a nationwide CDMA mobile network in the Czech Republic enabled MobilKom through its license to broadcast nationwide in the 410-430 MHz band, which the company acquired in 2006. From July 2010, MobilKom offers their voice and data services wholesale, as the first in the Czech Republic to so, allowing the creation of virtual operators in mobile networks. The parent company of MobilKom is the private equity group, Penta Investments.