Vodafone, the second largest telecom operator in Romania, will introduce the 4.5G mobile Internet this month, allowing its customers to surf the web at 800 Mbps theoretical speeds.

It is the first time a mobile network in Romania offers commercial speeds in the Gigabit sphere, creating the bridge between 4G and 5G, Vodafone Romania Technology Director Catalin Buliga said yesterday.

Vodafone’s Supernet 4.5G service offers enhanced optimization for video streaming, stronger built-in security and more bandwidth. At the moment, a single mobile phone is capable of reaching the 4.5G speed offered by Vodafone, namely Samsung Galaxy S8. The phone currently supports speeds of up to 500 Mbps, and speeds of up to 800 Mbps from the beginning of next year.

The Vodafone 4.5G network will soon be available on other phones if they are purchased from the operator. If purchased freely, customers need to take them into service for a software update.

Local telecom operators are currently racing to attract more customers. Telekom Romania announced on Monday that it will provide its customers unlimited access to 4G mobile Internet, without a traffic limit and without additional costs.

editor@romania-insider.com