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2025-03-24T00:57:10Z

Disambiguating links to Edge (link changed to EDGE (telecommunication)) using DisamAssist.

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{{Short description|Czech telecommunications company and subsidiary of O2}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Promotional|date=May 2024}}
{{Update|date=August 2024|reason=The article describes it as a 3G cell network which is very unlikely to be accurate as of 2024}}
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox company
| name = O2 Czech Republic, a.s.
| logo = O2.svg
| type = [[Public company|Public]]
| foundation = {{start date and age|2006}} {{small|(merger of Český Telecom & [[Eurotel]])}}
| location = [[Michle]], [[Prague]], Czech Republic
| ISIN = {{ISIN|sl=n|pl=y|CZ0009093209}}
| industry = [[Telecommunications]]
| products = [[Telephone|Voice]], [[Internet service provider|Internet access]], Mobile communications services & related goods, [[Information and communications technology|ICT]]
| revenue = {{increase}}[[CZK|Kč]] 37.996 billion (2018)
| operating_income = {{decrease}}[[CZK|Kč]] 7.108 billion (2018)
| net_income = {{decrease}}[[CZK|Kč]] 5.366 billion (2018)
| assets = [[CZK|Kč]] {{increase}} 36.13 billion (end 2018)<ref name=one>{{cite web|url= https://www.o2.cz/file_conver/631900/VZ_2018_EN_18_3.pdf | title= Annual Report 2018}}</ref>
| equity = [[CZK|Kč]] {{decrease}} 15.225 billion (end 2018) <ref name= one />
| num_employees = 5,381 (end 2018)<ref name=one />
| owner = [[PPF (company)|PPF]] (branding licensed from {{Lang|es|[[Telefónica]]|italic=no}})
| subsid = [[Telefónica Slovakia|O2 Slovakia]]; [[Telefónica Business Solutions]]; Czech Telecom Austria GmbH; Czech Telecom Germany GmbH
| homepage = {{URL|http://www.o2.cz/}}
| footnotes =
}}

{{multiple image
| align = right
| direction = horizontal
| header =
| image1 = CeskyT.png
| width1 = 125
| alt1 = Former Český Telecom logo
| caption1 = Former Český Telecom logo
| image2 = Eurotel logo.svg
| width2 = 125
| alt2 = Former Eurotel logo
| caption2 = Former Eurotel logo
}}

'''O2 Czech Republic''' (operating under the [[O2 (brand)|O2]] brand) is a major integrated operator in the [[Czech Republic]]. It is now operating more than six million lines, both fixed and mobile, making it one of the Czech Republic's largest providers of fully converged services. O2 Czech Republic operates a fixed and mobile network including a 3rd generation network, [[CDMA]] (for data), [[UMTS]] and [[EDGE (telecommunication)|EDGE]], enabling voice, data and video transmission. O2 Czech Republic is also a provider of [[Information and communications technology|ICT]] services.

Previously two companies, fixed-line operator '''Český Telecom''' and mobile operator '''[[Eurotel]]''', it was acquired by the [[Spain|Spanish]] company {{Lang|es|[[Telefónica]]|italic=no}} in 2005 and merged into a single legal entity and given its present name on 1 July 2006.

In 2013 it was announced that {{Lang|es|Telefónica|italic=no}} would sell its stake in the company to [[PPF (company)|PPF]] and the company would continue to use the O2 brand for a maximum of four years.<ref name=cr>[http://www.telefonica.cz/en/press-releases/328719-Telefonica_Agress_the_Sale_of_Telefonica_Czech_Republic_to_PPF_for_2_467_mln_euros.html {{Lang|es|Telefónica|italic=no}} Agrees the Sale of {{Lang|es|Telefónica|italic=no}} Czech Republic to PPF for 2,467 mln euros] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140220080854/http://www.telefonica.cz/en/press-releases/328719-Telefonica_Agress_the_Sale_of_Telefonica_Czech_Republic_to_PPF_for_2_467_mln_euros.html |date=2014-02-20 }}</ref> In August 2017 the brand license agreement was extended to 2022, with a 5 year extension to 2027 available.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 2017 |title=O2 Czech Republic, a. s. - General Presentation |url=https://www.o2.cz/file_conver/551515/O2_Czech_Republic_Investor_presentation_August_2017.pdf |website=O2}}</ref>

==History==
The company was initially known as '''SPT Telecom''' (''Správa pošt a telekomunikací'', state-owned telecommunications company), and used to have a monopoly for providing fixed-line services. It was reorganized and renamed '''''Český Telecom''''' (Czech Telecom), after the [[Velvet Divorce]] saw [[Czechoslovakia]] separate into the Czech Republic and [[Slovakia]] in 1993.

Its mobile subsidiary, Eurotel, was founded in 1990 as a joint venture between SPT (51%) and the American joint-venture Atlantic West (between [[US WEST]] International, Inc. and [[Bell Atlantic]] International Inc.). On launch, it received an exclusive five-year licence to operate a public data network, and a 20-year licence for the 450 MHz band to operate an analogue NMT mobile phone network, and automatically also a right to buy a licence to the future GSM network.

In 2001, it won a license to the third-generation [[UMTS]] network. It paid 1 billion [[Czech koruna|korunas]] immediately and promised to pay an additional 2.5 billion korunas annually. It also agreed to launch the service commercially, at least in [[Prague]], by 1 January 2005. In 2003, it received a one-year extension in exchange for faster payments. In 2005 it was granted another year-long extension due to the granting of a third licence to [[Vodafone Czech Republic|Vodafone]]. In the event, [[UMTS]] services launched on 1 November 2005. On 1 May 2006, the company launched [[HSDPA]] services on top of [[UMTS]] services.

[[File:Ubiquam UM-300C manuals.jpg|thumb|[[PC Card]] modem for O2's CDMA network with manuals]]
In 2004 it launched [[Evolution-Data Optimized|CDMA/1xEV-DO]] broadband wireless service (data-only) at 450 MHz, leveraging its legacy NMT network.

In 2012, O2 Czech Republic opened its network to virtual operators.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

On 1 June 2015, O2 Czech Republic has been separated into two mutually independent companies. O2 is the retail operator with the infrastructure provided by [[CETIN (company)|CETIN]]. The separation includes commercial and managerial leadership and management of both companies, including security, IT and control systems.<ref>{{Cite web|title=O2 Czech Republic separates into O2 and CETIN - ICT market in CEE & CIS - PMR|url=https://www.ceeitandtelecom.com/news/241585/o2-czech-republic-separates-into-o2-and-cetin|access-date=2018-12-20|website=www.ceeitandtelecom.com}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+
|-
! rowspan="2" scope="col"|Type of service
! colspan="4" scope="col"|Number of customers (in thousands) at the end of the year
|-
! scope="col" style="text-align: center"|2018 <ref name="sa18">[https://www.o2.cz/file_conver/607692/Pololetni_zprava_2018.pdf 2018 Semi-annual Report], O2, version from Feb 13, 2019</ref>
! scope="col" style="text-align: center"|2017 <ref name="sa18" />
! scope="col" style="text-align: center"|2010
! scope="col" style="text-align: center"|2009
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left;"|Fixed lines
| 554 || 654 || 1,669 || 1,771
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left;"|ADSL
| 708 || 752 || 806 || 725
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left;"|Pay TV – O2 TV
| 287 || 259 || 129 || 138
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left;"| Active mobile users in the Czech Republic
| 4,992 || 4,903 || 4,839 || 4,945
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left;"| – postpaid
| 3,504 || 3,366 || 2,864 || 2,814
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left;"| – prepaid
| 1,488 || 1,537 || 1,975 || 2,130
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:left;"| Active mobile users in Slovakia
| 2,000 <ref>[https://www.spolocnost.o2.sk/tlacove-centrum/tlacova-sprava/o2-je-uz-2-milionovy-operator O2 je už 2-miliónový operátor] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025090352/https://www.spolocnost.o2.sk/tlacove-centrum/tlacova-sprava/o2-je-uz-2-milionovy-operator |date=2018-10-25 }}</ref> || 1,903 || 880 || 553
|}

== Controversial Business Conduct ==

The controversial business conduct of O2 Czech Republic with its retail and business customers, including anti-competitive practices and other questionable activities, has led to concerns due to its aggressive tactics, resulting in several legal disputes. Among those are:

* In March 2015, Vodafone Czech Republic sued O2 Czech Republic for abusing its dominant position in the fixed high-speed internet market by charging excessively high wholesale prices, which hindered competition, innovation, and customer choice. The lawsuit sought CZK 385 million in damages for 2011-2014.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 2015 |title=Vodafone suing O2 Czech Republic for 385 million crowns |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/vodafone-suing-o2-czech-republic-110722687.html}}</ref>
* In July 2016, O2 changed its mobile data tariffs, ending slowed internet after data limits without informing customers about their right to terminate contracts. dTest sued O2 for this violation, seeking to revert the changes and protect consumer rights.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 2016 |title=O2's illegal actions harm consumers' rights |url=https://www.itpoint.cz/dtest/?i=fup-protipravni-jednani-o2-poskozuje-prava-spotrebitelu-11074}}</ref>
* In December 2016, the Czech Office for the Protection of Competition fined O2 Czech Republic and Vodafone 99 million CZK for anti-competitive agreements.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 2016 |title=Czech Republic: Anti-competitive agreements in telecoms sector |url=https://www.schoenherr.eu/content/czech-republic-anti-competitive-agreements-in-telecoms-sector}}</ref>
* In July 2019, EU antitrust regulators accused mobile operators Czech Republic and T-Mobile CZ of violating EU antitrust rules through a network sharing agreement. This agreement allegedly restricted competition and innovation, potentially harming consumers, especially in densely populated areas.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 2019 |title=EU antitrust regulators accuse Czech mobile operators O2 CZ, T-Mobile CZ of blocking rivals |url=https://english.radio.cz/eu-antitrust-regulators-accuse-czech-mobile-operators-o2-cz-t-mobile-cz-blocking-8123953}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official website|http://www.o2.cz}}

{{Czech mobile phone companies}}
{{PX companies}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Mobile phone companies of the Czech Republic]]
[[Category:Telecommunications companies established in 2006]]
[[Category:2006 establishments in the Czech Republic]]
[[Category:Telefónica]]
[[Category:PPF Group]]
[[Category:Companies in the PX Index]]
[[Category:Companies in the Central European Blue Chip Index]]

O2 Czech Republic - Revision history

imported>Onel5969: Disambiguating links to Edge (link changed to EDGE (telecommunication)) using DisamAssist.