A Commission staff working document published on 24 June 2026 as part of the Digital Decade 2026 country reports finds that Czechia has solid foundations in basic digital skills and eGovernment but faces significant gaps in SME digitalisation, ICT specialist supply, and advanced technology uptake. The report, transmitted to the Council via a cover note, sets out five recommendations to help the country meet its 2030 Digital Decade targets.
The document notes that very high-capacity network (VHCN) coverage stood at 54.68% in 2025, well below the EU average of 85.54%, while fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) reached only 44.8% against the EU's 74.13%. Basic 5G coverage is high at 99.69% (above the EU's 96.79%), but 5G in the 3.4–3.8 GHz band lags at 52.35% compared to the EU's 74.75%. Only 43.1% of SMEs use artificial intelligence, cloud, or data analytics, far below the EU target of 75%; Czechia has set a national target of 60%. ICT specialists make up 4.7% of the workforce (2025), below the EU average of 5.0% and the national target of 7.0%. The number of unicorns remains at three, unchanged from 2024, against a national trajectory of six by 2030. Access to e-health records stagnated at 77.4% (2025), below the EU average of 86.5%.
Czechia has allocated EUR 1.8 billion from its recovery plan (22% of total) and EUR 1.8 billion from cohesion policy (9%) to digital investments. The Commission recommends eight actions: promote fibre rollout especially in rural areas; strengthen fibre take-up; foster copper switch-off; improve 5G mid-band (3.4–3.8 GHz) coverage; strengthen conditions for scaling innovative firms; reinforce ICT specialist supply focusing on cybersecurity, AI, and data; strengthen eHealth interoperability and uptake; and develop a coherent green-digital strategy.
The report underscores that Czechia must urgently address weak SME digitalisation, ICT specialist shortages, and lagging rural connectivity to meet the 2030 Digital Decade targets. The Council is expected to discuss the findings in upcoming competitiveness or telecoms formations.