The majority state-owned company said the fast technology was made available across more than 100 locations in 54 cities and towns in the early hours of Wednesday.
The company said it was given the right to use the new frequencies by the telecoms regulator for 15 years.
The networks were put in place in partnership with Swedish telecoms company Ericsson.
Concerns
The announcement from Switzerland’s largest telecoms company comes as four cantons in western Switzerland, Vaud, Geneva, Neuchâtel and Jura, moved to suspend authorisations for new 5G mobile antennae, pending a government report on their safety.
A working group is to present the results of a study to the Swiss government by the end of June.
5G is divisive in Switzerland. While some people say it’s indispensable for economic development, others are afraid of the increased radiation coming from the antennas. The result is that antenna construction projects are running into petitions, political interference and opposition.
More
More
Swiss fear effects of 5G antennas
This content was published on
Fifth-generation (5G) mobile communications antennas are starting to go up in Switzerland. Not everyone is happy about this.
Earlier this month, Swisscom competitor Sunrise launched its 5G service in 150 Swiss municipalities.
Fifth-generation wireless technology offers much faster data speeds for mobile communications than previous generations: up to ten gigabits per second, which is fast enough to download a high-definition movie in seconds, and up to 100 times faster than current 4G technology.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Abroad
The citizenship obstacle course facing spouses of Swiss Abroad
Swiss committee wants to end government resignations during legislative term
This content was published on
Members of the Federal Council should no longer be able to leave office before the end of their term, according to a House of Representatives committee.
Swiss government seat: Ritter and Pfister nominated to succeed Amherd
This content was published on
Markus Ritter from St Gallen and Martin Pfister from Zug were officially nominated by the Centre Party on Friday to succeed Defence Minister Viola Amherd.
Top Swiss court rejects Russian request for administrative tax assistance
This content was published on
There is currently no reason to transmit banking information to the Russian Federation, the Swiss Federal Court has ruled.
After strike by radiologists, doctors demonstrate in Bern
This content was published on
Following a strike by radiology technicians in Fribourg, doctors, vets, dentists and chiropractors expressed their frustration on Friday outside parliament in the Swiss capital.
Eurovision and bleak world situation are top themes at Basel carnival
This content was published on
The Eurovision Song Contest and the gloomy global situation are among the main themes of Basel Fasnacht (carnival) this year.
Prices of Swiss investment properties continue to rise despite stagnating rents
This content was published on
Although rents in Switzerland stagnated or fell in the final quarter of last year, prices for investment properties continued to rise. Both apartment buildings and office properties have become more expensive.
Probe into wrong Swiss pension figures clears federal office
This content was published on
Employees of the Swiss Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO) did not breach their duty of care when calculating pension prospects, an investigation has concluded.
This content was published on
Hotels in the southern Swiss canton of Ticino welcomed significantly more guests last December than in the same month of the previous year.
This content was published on
The Swiss government has raised CHF380 million ($379 million) from auctioning fifth-generation (5G) mobile radio frequencies, it said on Friday.
This content was published on
Following a successful pilot project, Swiss telecom group Swisscom is ready to deploy fifth generation wireless systems at selected sites this year.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.