Orange Slovakia pledged to double its 5G coverage by the end of 2025, which currently covers a quarter of the population, while also repeating that it will sunset 3G networks in the next two years.
In a translated statement, Orange detailed its high-speed 5G network covering 140 towns and villages. Its next phase of deployment will focus on cities and locations that enable easier access for enterprises to tap into 5G and maximise its use.
Orange Group announced in March 2022, plans to shut down 2G and 3G networks in Europe by the end of the decade. By the end of 2025, Orange units in Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Spain will see the end of 3G, with 2G to be cut off by the end of 2030.
Orange Slovakia CTIO Eric Maintenay said 3G is used “by fewer and fewer customers, even less than we expected”.
The operator explained this move will enable it to focus on a newer network technology to bring customers higher quality experiences and data-intensive IoT solutions, while also enabling it to offset negative impacts on the environment.
Orange plans to use frequency bands used in its 3G network particularly the 2,100MHz for its 5G network, while other frequencies will be used for 4G.
