Telia Launches 5G in Norway

During 2020, the 5G coverage will be extended throughout Oslo, and it will also be launched in Trondheim and Bergen. Telia’s aim is to be first in Norway with a nation-wide 5G network by the end of 2023, and the ambition is to have up to half of the population covered with 5G over the course of next year.

“Today marks a milestone for Telia and our customers. During a time when we see clearly how important our digital infrastructure is in order for society to keep functioning, we are extremely proud to be able to open up our 5G network, starting with customers in Lillestøm. 5G brings fantastic possibilities and we hope that the people of Norway find great pleasure in this new and revolutionary mobile technology,” says Stein-Erik Vellan, CEO of Telia Norway. “We continue rolling out 5G throughout Norway with the aim of being the first operator with a nation-wide 5G network by 2023,” he continues.

“This is about competitiveness for our country,” says Linda Hofstad Helleland, Minister of Districts and Digitalization. “The next generation mobile network – 5G – opens up for the digital services of the future. This contributes towards assuring that Norway’s mobile networks continue being some of the best in the world. Telia has announced ambitious expansion plans and I look forward to continued progress so that we can launch 5G in even more cities throughout Norway. The mobile networks are extremely important to individuals, enterprises and the public sector across the entire country.”

Telia has since the start of 2020 been building out its national 5G network at great speed and is now launching the new network in Lillestrøm and parts of Groruddalen in Oslo. Around 40 base stations have been upgraded with the latest mobile technology in Lillestrøm, delivered by Telia’s partner Ericsson.

Half the population will have 5G by the end of next year
Telia is expanding its 5G network in Oslo throughout the course of the year, while at the same time launching it in Trondheim and Bergen. Billions of Norwegian kroner is being invested each year, and the expansion of 5G will take place one area after another with the ambition of covering up to half the population by the end of 2021. National coverage should be in place by the end of 2023. Parallel with the introduction of 5G, Telia aims to modernize the entire mobile network, resulting in an even better 4G network, greater speed and coverage.

“5G is going to play an important role in the continued digitalization of Norway. The technology enables completely new possibilities for businesses, important social functions and to our private lives. This includes everything from remote-controlled and self-driving vehicles, to advanced functions and services in industry and healthcare, to brand-new gaming experiences on mobile phones,” says Vellan, adding: “At the same time, we are dedicated to testing 5G with our customers and partners, so that we can get an even better insight into all of its possibilities.”

A completely new mobile experience for customers and society
With 5G from Telia, Norwegians will get a completely new mobile experience. 5G technology enables super-fast connectivity, great coverage, low latency, very high speed and capacity, short response times and access to the internet, anytime and anywhere. At the same time, Telia’s 5G network will be very energy efficient, contributing to more sustainable solutions for society over time.

“5G gives us the opportunity to deliver an even better customer experience. For example, we want to offer our customers significantly higher data rates and much larger data volumes compared to 4G,” says Vellan, and concludes: “Last but not least, there is tremendous potential in 5G technology for a more environmentally friendly and sustainable society. It will not only lead to energy efficiency, but also to less pollution in cities and better maintenance of buildings and roads, for example, as millions of things eventually connect online in new solutions.”