Two of Poland’s major players are lining up 5G launches for early 2020.
Polkomtel, which operates as Plus, is already deploying its 5G network using equipment from Ericsson and Nokia, and aims to launch commercial services before April. At first, the network will cover seven cities: Gdansk, Katowice, Lodz, Poznan, Szczecin, Warsaw and Wroclaw.
The network will feature 100 base stations at launch, and will operate using 2600MHz TDD spectrum. Using MIMO 4×4 and QAM256 technologies, Polkomtel will be able to provide download speeds beyond 500Mbps.
Miroslaw Blaszczyk, President of the Management Board of Polkomtel’s parent group Cyfrowy Polsat, said: ‘We have finished preparations and are beginning to build the first 5G network in Poland. These will no longer be tests or trials – they will be commercial services available like all others in our offer.’
Meanwhile P4, which operates as Play, is readying its 5G launch. The operator has deployed 5G network equipment that will allow it to provide coverage in the northern city of Gdynia, and that it is waiting for regulatory clearance before its commercial launch.
Play CEO Jean-Marc Harion said: “Technically, we’re waiting for [regulator] UKE (Urzad Komunikacji Elektronicznej) to provide us with the authorisation to operate spectrum commercially, but this is a real life rollout of 5G. The entire city is covered.”
