Czech morning news roundup: Friday, November 19, 2021

A preliminary assessment by the European Commission has found that network-sharing agreements between mobile network operators in the Czech Republic may break EU competition laws by reducing the ability and incentive for companies to invest individually in network infrastructure.

The assessment concerned agreements between T-Mobile CZ, O2 Czech Republic, and the infrastructure provider CETIN. It also took into account a Mobile Network Services Agreement between O2 Czech Republic and CETIN. The Commission said it is concerned that by discouraging investment, the agreements may negatively affect competition on the retail and wholesale markets for telecommunications services.

In the first half of 2022, the Czech online grocer Rohlík will launch online shopping delivery services in Italy and Romania under its new Sezamo brand. Almost two and a half million households will initially have access to the online store’s services after the launch.

The new brand will then start operations in Spain in the second half of 2022. This will take its total number of countries to seven, with the company already operating in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany and Austria. Germany is the largest market for the company, and when added next year, Italy will be the next biggest. The name Sezamo comes from the Latin-root word “sesame,” retaining the link with bread products while referencing an ingredient popular in all the new countries.

On Wednesday, a man in České Budějovice caused himself serious injuries after trying to kill a mole in his garden using explosives. After illegal buying explosives which should only be handled by professionals, the man put them in a molehill, holding them down by putting concrete slabs on top, on which he then stood.

The consequent explosion caused a crater a meter deep in the garden and left pieces of broken concrete up to 20 meters away. The man was seriously injured and taken to hospital with two broken legs. A local police spokesperson said the recommended safe distance when detonating the type of explosive involved is at least 25 meters.

Czech car manufacturer Škoda Auto has unveiled a new model for the Indian market. The Slavia sedan had its world premiere in the country yesterday. The Slavia is the brand’s second mass-produced model created within the INDIA 2.0 project; it is unlikely the car will ever be sold in the Czech Republic.

The other Škoda model produced for the Indian markets was the Kushaq SUV, introduced this spring. The development of the new Slavia took place in Mladá Boleslav and also in Pune, India, where manufacturing will also happen. The name of the new sedan harks back to the first bicycles produced by Škoda in 1896. 

The 9th annual Night of Theaters festival is due to take place in the Czech Republic on Saturday night with the participation of more than 80 theaters in 30 towns and cities across the Czech Republic. As well as enjoying free performances, the public will also be able to experience guided tours of the participating theaters, panel discussions involving important theater figures, and talks with artists. Last year’s event was held online due to the Covid pandemic. As the festival will take place before new restrictions on unvaccinated people are expected to come into effect, a negative Covid test will be sufficient to allow people to attend. See what's on in your location here.