11. 9. 2024
Telekom Slovenije is strengthening its role of the leading operator with further investments in the network and the development of user-friendly services. Over the last ten years, it has invested more than EUR 680 million in the development and maintenance of the network alone. With the constant expansion, upgrading and modernisation of the network and the introduction of state-of-the-art technologies, it is the pillar of Slovenia's digital development.
In the last year and a half, it has increased the capacity of the entire mobile network by more than 30%, and the 5G network threefold. It can connect an additional 250,000 households to its fibre network, both in urban centres and rural areas, and fibre optic connections are already available to more than half of Slovenian households.
“We are carefully monitoring the rapid and dynamic development of technologies and preparing for the services of the future, while successfully implementing our development strategy, strengthening the trust of our users and providing them with the latest technological services and solutions," said Boštjan Škufca Zaveršek, Vice President of the Management Board of Telekom Slovenije.
Telekom Slovenije has been recently reversing trends and adding new users. “A growing number of users are selecting our services, and more and more are returning to us. At the same time, research shows that our users are the most satisfied among users of telecommunications services. This is because we focus on them and put them first. We develop tailored services for them and upgrade the network, making sure they have with what they need for both home and business use. Users expect increasingly better, more reliable and secure telecommunications services, while at the same time, we are aware of our social role in raising awareness and ensuring the most intelligent and responsible use of technologies. We pay special attention to educating users of all ages about the pitfalls of the digital world and encourage open communication about this topic," said Boštjan Škufca Zaveršek.
Telekom Slovenije is currently extensively upgrading and modernising its network with the latest technologies, which is the foundation for further development. Vesna Prodnik, Member of the Management Board of Telekom Slovenije for Technology, pointed out that the company employs "more than a thousand engineers who set exceptionally high quality standards for the Slovenian telecommunications market. We are the leading technology company in Slovenia, providing users with the latest telecommunications and ICT services, and we are prepared at every levels for continued introduction of state-of-the-art technologies. We place great emphasis on development, and participate in development projects that are already focusing on the next mobile generation, 6G, and quantum communications. This allows us to acquire new know-how and competences, and we are also systematically developing and introducing artificial intelligence tools. The inclusion of artificial intelligence in telecommunications is not just a technological trend, but a fundamental shift that will transform the industry in the future."
Artificial intelligence is an integral part of the NEO platform, with which Telekom Slovenije introduced a completely new user experience to Slovenian homes six years ago with voice control of TV content. NEO is the only platform with a voice model in Slovenian, and is the result of in-house development by Telekom Slovenije’s experts. The voice model is adapted to Slovenian users and contains advanced natural language processing algorithms to help understand user commands, and machine learning to adapt and improve the service based on collected data on user preferences. The NEO platform has more than 200,000 users who spoke more than 110 million voice commands in the first half of this year.
The accessibility of TV and video content anywhere and across all devices is one of the reasons why mobile data traffic in the Telekom Slovenije network increases by about a third every year, and this trend will only intensify in the future. That is why Telekom Slovenije is intensely focused on modernising its mobile network in a way that simultaneously increases coverage and strengthens capacities to ensure the best user experience. Over the past year and a half, the company has managed to increase the capacity of the entire mobile network by more than 30%, and the 5G network threefold. Matjaž Beričič, Director of Network and Services, explains: "We plan and upgrade the network in line with user needs. With advanced cyber protection mechanisms and a network operations service centre, we ensure reliable and secure service operation. We are constantly expanding and upgrading the network with state-of-the-art technologies." When planning and upgrading the network, Telekom Slovenije pays special attention to energy efficiency and cares for the environment. Over the past ten years, data traffic in the mobile network has increased as much as 40-fold, while electricity consumption has only increased by 10%.
Reliable and secure fibre-optic connections will also be important for the further development of digital Slovenia, as more and more users and devices are connected to the fixed network. With a growing number of solutions for businesses and services for residential users depending on network performance, Telekom Slovenije encourages users to replace older technologies with the latest fibre-optics network, which they are constantly expanding and upgrading.
"Everything we do, we do with the users in mind. We monitor user habits, trends and expectations and adapt services to different groups of users. That's why our services are designed to simplify lives. One such service is the NEO platform with voice commands in the Slovenian language, which has been very well received by users. As the share of wearable devices in our network is constantly increasing, we plan to introduce an advanced technological solution by the end of the year that will make it possible for users have a single number on multiple devices – smartwatches, mobile phones, tablets that support eSIM. In October, we are also introducing a special offer called SUPR Voznik, with which we responded to the needs of young people who want to obtain a driver’s license. This offer will help many young people who find it difficult to pay for driving lessons,” said Katja Šajnovič, Director of Business Development at Telekom Slovenije, who presented some of the new features together with her team.