Yettel launches standalone 5G technology in Hungary. The first standalone 5G network in the country is a milestone that also puts the company at the forefront of global 5G innovation. Yettel’s standalone 5G service is already available at nearly 700 base stations across the country. The roll-out of standalone 5G on smartphones is expected for the rest of next year.
Unlike today’s widespread 5G networks, which still rely on 4G to establish connections, the new standalone 5G system uses only 5G technology for connections and uses spectrum dedicated to 5G. This development realises many of the benefits of the 5G standard, including a significant reduction in network latency, an increase in available download and upload speeds and the introduction of more digital services.
In 2021, Yettel started a comprehensive modernisation of its network in Hungary, including a complete renewal of the base network as well as the antennas. The multi-billion dollar investment has increased the capacity of the nationwide 4G network by 2-3 times and paved the way for the construction of a true high-speed 5G network.
The PPF Telecom Group, of which Yettel is a member, is one of the leading telecommunications service providers in Central and Eastern Europe. With operations in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Serbia, the group provides mobile, fixed, data and internet TV services and has 18 million mobile customers, 1.1 million fixed broadband subscribers and over 700,000 PayTV customers in the region. The group has a total of 12,700 employees.