O2 Slovakia

O2 Slovakia launched its 3G network in Slovakia on 18 July 2011. The network initially provided mobile services to a significant number of preregistered users. Over the years, the 3G network expanded to cover a substantial portion of the population. However, with the advent of newer technologies, the utilisation of 3G diminished significantly. In December 2023, O2 Slovakia announced the phased shutdown of its 3G network, beginning at the end of January 2024 in the districts of Zarnovica and Zlate Moravce. The shutdown process was planned to extend across the entire country over two years, allowing O2 to focus on enhancing its 4G LTE and 5G capabilities.

O2 Slovakia launched its 4G LTE network on 9 December 2014 in Bratislava and Košice, following a pilot which ran from 2012. The initial rollout covered approximately 165,000 people in these cities, offering average download and upload speeds of 25 Mbps and 15 Mbps, respectively. By December 2015, O2 Slovakia achieved 25% population coverage with the introduction of the 800 MHz spectrum. By the end of 2016, LTE coverage had expanded to reach 70% of the population. The company also trialled dual-band LTE-Advanced carrier aggregation in Bratislava, achieving 165 Mbps downlink data throughput. O2 Slovakia participated in a spectrum auction in late 2013, securing channels in the 800 MHz and 1800 MHz bands, which were used to enhance its LTE network. The company continued to upgrade its network, reaching 80% population coverage by the end of 2016.

In 2020, the company conducted multi-vendor 5G trials in Bratislava, selecting Ericsson as its technology partner for the 5G rollout and modernisation of existing 2G, 3G, and 4G radio access network infrastructures. It has acquired spectrum in key 5G frequency ranges, including 700 MHz, 900 MHz, and 1800 MHz. The network was commercially launched September 2021. As of May 2024, O2 Slovakia announced further expansion of its 5G network coverage, reaching new cities and towns through ongoing infrastructure upgrades. The company achieved 70% population coverage for its 5G network by 2023, focusing on enhancing connectivity in previously underserved areas. The network operates in Standalone (SA) mode.