Centronet (Nej.cz) succeeds in 5G auction, acquires the 3.5 GHz frequency
Nej.cz, which is part of Kaprain Group, provides 165,000 households with high-speed internet and television content. Thanks to the acquisition of the 3.5 GHz frequency, it will now be able to offer its services in less densely populated areas that are not served by optical networks and usually rely on slower and less reliable Wi-Fi connections. Kaprain is also considering offering its customers mobile services.
Evaluating the results of the auction, Kaprain Investment Director Marcel Dostal said: “We’re very satisfied with the results of the auction. The newly acquired frequency will allow us to offer services to new customers who don’t have access to high-speed internet. Also, because there wasn’t an excess of demand over supply, we were able to purchase individual bandwidths within our budget,”. He further commented that “the market has significantly changed in recent years and traditional mobile operators have concentrated their activities into fixed connections and audio-visual content. For this reason, we evaluated participation in the auction for 3.5 GHz frequencies as a necessary pre-requisite for our future ability to compete.”
Nej.cz, which is part of Kaprain Group, is the third largest provider of high-speed internet and audio-visual content in the Czech Republic, serving some 165,000 households. Success in the auction means these services can now be offered in areas that cannot be covered with optical networks. “We realize that optical connections can’t serve an area with low population density, which doesn’t necessarily mean just small villages. This can also mean urban areas with single-family homes,” Dostal explained, and added: “5G technology in the licensed bandwidth will allow us to offer gigabyte connections to potential customers that today have to rely on providers of slower and less-reliable Wi-Fi connections.”
In addition, Kaprain Group’s success in the auction ensures access to national roaming, which will also allow the company to offer mobile services to its customers. “We’re also considering offering our customers mobile services. Entering the market with a comprehensive offering of fixed and mobile services will allow us to achieve a starting position similar to that of the national operators,” Dostal noted, and concluded: “The main thing for us remains offering high-speed internet connections and audio-visual services.”