History
Cesky Mobil a.s. became the first dual-band (GSM 900/1800) network operator in the Czech Republic after being granted its license in October 1999. It launched commercial operations of its leading edge GSM network under the brand name Oskar.
Oskar launched commercial operations on March 1, 2000 into the market as the third GSM provider in the Czech Republic, after Telefónica O2 (formerly Eurotel) and T-Mobile (previously named Paegas).
In less than a year, Oskar built a network comparable to its competition. As of September 30, 2002, Oskar's subscriber base topped 1,139,600 subscribers and its market share exceeded 14%. Oskar was quick to make its international mark as it was nominated for two consecutive years for Best Mobile Operator at the prestigious World Communication Awards (2001 and 2002) in London, England.
In 2003, the company introduced 2in1 SIM, VPN Firma service (company discounted internal mobile network) focusing on small and medium business sector and launch MMS. The IMAX sponsored by Oskar opens, the only 3D theatre in Prague.
In 2004, Oskar is recognized as the Most Dynamic Company, a new category of the 100 Most Significant Companies in the Czech Republic survey organized by the Czech Top 100 Association. In September 2004, the company name changed from Cesky Mobil a.s. to Oskar Mobil a.s.
On June 1, 2005, Oskar became a member of the Vodafone Group. The operator launched EDGE technology, unlimited data services and secure the UMTS license for the third generation (3G) network.
Read more about this topic: Vodafone Czech Republic
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