Press Releases

Budapest, May 24, 2012 12:00

Magyar Telekom will bring the 4G/LTE-based mobile internet service to the agglomeration of Budapest and several country towns this summer, and is continuing to expand coverage in Budapest. Currently the 4G/LTE service is available outdoors for 90% of the population in Budapest and indoors for 73%.

Apart from the capital city T-Mobile is building its 4G/LTE network in the agglomeration and in big country cities. By the end of June the service will be available, among others, in most areas of Göd, Fót, Szentendre, Nagykovácsi, Tököl, Diósd, Csömör, Taksony, Piliscsaba, Üllő, Gyömrő, Sződliget, Mogyoród and Budaörs. As for country towns, the 4G/LTE service will be available by late June in most areas of Szombathely, Debrecen, Kecskemét, Győr, Siófok, Keszthely and Hévíz.

“The 4G/LTE, which has been brought to Hungary first by Telekom, the leading Hungarian service provider, is a technology to determine mobile telecommunications in the long run. Telekom is building one of the country’s most advanced mobile infrastructure with 4G/LTE thanks to its investments of close to a hundred billion each year. Three quarters of the inhabitants of Budapest now have access to the 4G/LTE network and this year we will take the service to the agglomeration and several country towns,” said Christopher Mattheisen, Magyar Telekom’s Chairman-CEO.
“However developments in the future may be threatened if the size of available resources drops due to the special taxes that have been imposed on the industry to an exaggerated extent and discriminatively, causing investments to slow down in telecommunications, as a key industry important for the country’s competitiveness. We are convinced that we have to preserve the excellent quality even in international comparison of Hungarian mobile services,” emphasised Christopher Mattheisen.

It was a year ago that Magyar Telekom embarked on the large scale modernization of its mobile network. As a result the service is currently available for use outdoors* for 90% of the population of Budapest, and, for use indoors, for 73%. According to plans, by the end of the year the total area of Budapest will be covered by the 4G/LTE technology outdoors and, the indoors coverage will reach 80% (of the population).

Apart from the expansion of 4G/LTE coverage the development of the 3G network is also underway. The 3G/HSPA network is currently available for 75% of the population in 474 settlements. There are now 700 HSPA+ stations with a maximum nominal speed of 21 Mbps.** The company also plans to cover the metro network of Budapest with the 3G/HSPA+ network; this is expected to be ready by October on the system shared with the other two service providers.

The modernization of the mobile network is accompanied by the simultaneous dynamic growth in the number of mobile internet users. The tariff packages facilitating faster data exchange are increasingly popular and since their introduction last August over 22,000 customers have opted for one of the Net&Roll tariff packages. In addition, the number of customers subscribing to the 4G/LTE-based mobile internet service is in the thousands.

*Outdoor coverage: according to the universal definitions (set out in the document “Mobile Internet Forum MATRIX Draft V14”, December 11, 2008 and accepted by mobile service providers) the speed available through LTE technology in 80% of cases in the service areas concerned is at least 4000 kbps (downloads) and 2000 kbps (uploads.) In the areas concerned mobile internet service can be used outdoors and, in certain cases, within buildings situated in the area of external coverage.
Indoor coverage: according to the universal definitions (set out in the document “Mobile Internet Forum MATRIX Draft V14”, December 11, 2008 and accepted by mobile service providers) the speed available through LTE technology in 80% of cases in the service areas concerned is at least 4000 kbps (downloads) and 2000 kbps (uploads). In the areas mentioned the service can be used within buildings as well subject to the consideration that the signal is generally stronger near windows and on higher floors. Reinforced concrete, coloured glass or heat resistant foils constitute a considerable shield. Neighbouring buildings may also impede the propagation of signals.

** Reaching the maximum nominal speed depends on the availability of adequately enabled equipment that supports the technology concerned and also on whether the network on the spot concerned supports that speed, as well as on radio and usage conditions. The guaranteed downloading/uploading speed is technology-dependent; it is 2000/800 kbps for the 3G/HSDPA/HSPA+.