Swisscom claims it is ready to roll out 4G infrastructure after a successful large-scale trial, but will instead extend the pilot scheme to ensure a smooth launch for the technology.
The Swiss incumbent has received positive feedback to a trial service running in seven tourist regions and eleven of its retail outlets between December and early April. It claims the results, along with new frequencies acquired in the country’s 4G auction in February, leaves it ready to deploy 4G by the year-end.
However, Swisscom is instead extending the conclusion of its pilot from mid-2012 to end-2012, and adding parts of the cities of Berne and Zurich to its coverage. The change will allow the operator to “flow seamlessly into the introduction of 4G on the Swisscom mobile network,” company information states.
The operator plans to deploy 4G nationwide in 2013, as part of a 1.5 billion Swiss francs (€1.2 billion) investment in the technology over the next five years.