Slovakian telecommunications operator Swan, operating under the 4ka brand, announced this week its preparations for nationwide 4G coverage. In an official release, the telco said 4ka is transitioning from 3G network to 4G network and will switch off 3G early next year. 4ka has a roaming service agreement for 3G with Orange Slovakia, which is set to switch off its 3G network by the end of 2023 to focus on 4G and 5G, as reported by TelecomTalk in May 2023.
Also Read: Orange Slovakia to Switch off 3G Network by the End of 2023
Phasing out 3G Network
4ka mentioned it will offer customers 4G coverage, replacing the 3G network in partnership with the roaming network (Orange Slovakia), and the transition will take place gradually throughout Slovakia in the first quarter of 2024.
4G Network Coverage
According to the statement, 4ka will be able to provide 4G coverage on its own 4G network along with the roaming partner's network for more than 97 percent of the Slovakian population.
Also Read: O2 Slovakia 5G Network Reaches 69.3 Percent Population Coverage
4ka and Orange Network Agreement
In July this year, 4ka and Orange signed an agreement where 4ka will have access to the Orange 4G network for the next three years. Under this agreement, 4ka will utilise the 2G, 3G, and 4G networks of Orange, which has the fastest 4G network coverage for 97 percent of Slovakia's population.
In areas where 4ka has not built its own 2G, 4G, or 5G network, users will log into the roaming partner's network, where, until now, customers only had 2G and 3G networks available from the national roaming partner.
2G Network
After the network transition, primarily occurring during the night, mobile devices will automatically connect to the available 4G network, providing higher internet speeds, said 4ka. Customers with devices that do not support 4G will still be able to use the 2G network.
Also Read: Slovak Telekom to Begin Phased Shutdown of 3G Network in October
4ka 5G Network Expansion
Additionally, 4ka highlighted its ongoing efforts to improve its mobile network and expand 5G network coverage to other cities. Over 50,000 residents in the cities of Sered, Stropkov, and Topolcany can already access the 5G network with speeds exceeding 500 Mbps. The telco said 4ka's 5G network is also available in Bratislava, Trnava, Nitra, and a small part of Banska Bystrica.
