Telenor launches 5G pilot in Norway
September 27, 2019
Telenor has opened Scandinavia’s largest 5G pilot in the Norwegian municipality of Elverum, making Telenor Norway the country’s first operator to integrate 5G into its mobile network.
“Connectivity is fundamental to modern societies and with 5G we open up for completely new experiences and applications for our customers and partners. Exploring this technology here in Norway means that we can learn, test and continuously improve as we gradually introduce 5G to our markets,” said Sigve Brekke, Telenor Group President and CEO, as he participated in the first live 5G video call in Norway.
With the new pilot, Telenor becomes the first operator in Norway to integrate 5G into its mobile network. This means that anyone with access to a 5G mobile phone will soon be able to use the network in Elverum.
“This is an important day both for the residents of Elverum and us at Telenor. With the launch of Scandinavia’s largest 5G pilot, we have strengthened our commitment to 5G. The residents of Elverum have exciting times ahead of them, reaping the benefits of what next-generation mobile technology has to offer,” said Telenor Norway CEO Petter Furberg at the launch.
Telenor’s pilot in Elverum is the most comprehensive 5G pilot run by Telenor and the largest run in Scandinavia as of today. Through the project, more than 50 pilot customers in the municipality will be connected to the 5G network. They will get to test 5G on mobile handsets, 5G via broadband and TV, as well as smart home solutions. Ericsson will be contributing both 5G network equipment and deployment.
“The success of this 5G pilot signals great things in store not just for Elverum but for Norway as a whole. The benefits of 5G’s high speeds, low latency, and superior reliability will make a real difference. Ericsson is leading the way on 5G in Europe, so we are pleased to work with partners such as Telenor to ensure that their customers in turn also benefit from that leadership and expertise,” said Jenny Lindqvist, Head of Northern & Central Europe at Ericsson.