ADSL HAS 375 000 USERS IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC, ČESKÝ TELECOM SUCCESSFULLY SPEEDS UP INTERNET CONNECTIONS
12.6.2006
The number of broadband Internet users continues to grow. On June 13, 2006, ČESKÝ TELECOM recorded 375 thousand telephone lines with ADSL Internet connections. Furthermore, nearly all subscribers are able to surf at speeds that the Czech Republic’s biggest telecommunications operator increased by up to four times over the last few months.
Over the last four months the number of ADSL subscribers has increased by a quarter. The number of localities where this type of connection is available has also grown. ČESKÝ TELECOM covers 1 581 localities, which is a 20% growth in comparison with January 2006. This represents coverage of more than 90% of the telephone lines in the Czech Republic.
“In addition to the increasing popularity of broadband Internet services, we have also successfully carried out a very technically demanding migration to higher speeds for 294 thousand customers. This has been ongoing since February 1 and after three months over 93% of all subscribers have been surfing at higher speeds. During the first month we increased speed by 27 percent, during the second by another 65 percent and during May by 5 percent,” explains Petr Matějovský, ČESKÝ TELECOM’s Manager for Broadband Internet Services. According to company sources, 55 thousand clients increased their connection speeds themselves with the assistance of the My Account (Moje Konto) application or through toll-free telephone lines.
“To this day we have provided new speeds for nearly 97% of all customers,” adds Matějovský. ČESKÝ TELECOM also includes 50 thousand wholesale customers, whose connection speeds were also quadrupled, in this quantity.
“With regards to the fact that 3% of customers still cannot have their connection speeds increased at this time owing to various, primarily technical reasons, we are investing hundreds of millions of koruna into the construction of new technological elements in the network, so-called DSLAMs, which should enable migration for this small group of people during the holidays. In cases where even this measure will not be effective we will offer an alternative solution or a reduction off the price of the service,” says Matějovský.
With regards to the further development of broadband Internet in the Czech Republic, ČESKÝ TELECOM has also decided to lower wholesale prices for ADSL-based services. As of July 1 of this year, every product in the portfolio will be 22 koruna cheaper.
For further information, please contact:
MARTIN ŽABKA
Press Spokesman
Tel: +420 271 463 359
Fax: +420 271 469 896
e-mail: tiskovy.odbor@ct.cz
ČESKÝ TELECOM, a. s., member of the Telefónica Group is the leading telecommunications company in the Czech Republic. Through its subsidiary company Eurotel Praha, spol. s r.o., it also has a significant presence in the Czech mobile services market. Further information about the firm and the services it offers is available at www.telecom.cz, which was rated as BestWeb 2003 in the WebTop100 survey.
Signum Temporis has consistently awarded ČESKÝ TELECOM for being one of the domestic capital market's most transparent firms in terms of providing information. Based on an open vote of specialists, members of the press and a nine-member committee, ČESKÝ TELECOM placed first in 2003, just as it did in 2001.
ČESKÝ TELECOM ranks among the most prominent firms on the Czech capital market in terms of capitalization and trading volumes. Its shares are also traded on the London Stock Exchange in the form of GDRs. ČESKÝ TELECOM's credit rating is the highest a Czech corporation can receive from top international rating agencies.
About Telefónica
Telefónica is Europe's leading integrated telecom company and second biggest in the world. Its activities are centred mainly on the fixed and mobile telephony businesses with broadband as the key tool for the development of both of these.
The company is operating in 40 countries and together with ČESKÝ TELECOM has a customer base that amounts to more than 140 million access. Telefónica has a strong presence in Latin America, where the company concentrates part of its growth strategy.
Telefónica is a 100% listed company, with more than 1.5 million direct shareholders. Its share capital currently comprises 4,921,130,397 ordinary shares traded on the Spanish Stock Market (Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao and Valencia) and on those in London, Paris, Frankfurt, Tokyo, New York, Lima, Buenos Aires and São Paulo.
