With the launch of the network, 5G coverage becomes available in 102 locations across Switzerland. Building upon this, Swisscom aims to roll out nationwide coverage by the end of 2019.
“The Swisscom 5G network will be ready for everyone across Switzerland by the end of the year,” Urs Schaeppi, who is the Swisscom’s CEO, tells Swiss news agency The Local.
The launch follows Swisscom’s purchase of the biggest share of 5G frequencies, after an auction initiated by the Federal Communications Commission in February 2019. By winning the bid, Swisscom is required to reach 50 percent service coverage within Switzerland by 2024. Given that 5G is the new mobile communication standard for digitisation, the network launch gives Switzerland a geographical advantage within central Europe.
Swisscom is a major telecommunications provider in Switzerland, located in Worblaufen near Bern. Swisscom has a market share of 60 percent for mobile, 67 percent for broadband and 33 percent for television service telecommunication across Switzerland. The Swiss government hold a majority stake in the company.
The 5G project has been undertaken in conjunction with Ericsson. Summing this partnership up and the roll-out of the network, Arun Bansal, president and head of Europe and Latin America at Ericsson, has called the switching on of the network “a momentous occasion.”
While the Swisscom launch has been declared a technological success, some concern exists in Switzerland about the unknown risks surrounding 5G technology. Because of this, Switzerland will introduce a monitoring system to assess concerns about the potential health impact of fifth-generation mobile frequency emissions. The assessment will primarily focus on non-ionising radiation levels.
