(Fornebu, 13 December 2019) Telenor has completed its vendor selection process for the future network in Norway. Ericsson will modernise and build the Telenor's 5G radio access network (RAN).
"We expect 5G to be the one technology that will transform our society the most in the next decade. We have been through a thorough process to evaluate all the main vendors' ability to deliver on Telenor's requirements for the future mobile network. When selecting the vendor for the radio access network, we have considered important factors like technical quality, ability to innovate and modernise the network, commercial terms and conditions, as well as carried out an extensive security evaluation. Based on the comprehensive and holistic evaluation, we have decided to introduce a new partner for this important technology shift in Norway," says Sigve Brekke, CEO of Telenor Group.
In the forefront of modernisation
"We are happy to announce that we have chosen Ericsson to start building the future 5G radio network in Norway, and I am confident we now are perfectly positioned to be in the forefront of the country's network modernisation. As the first mobile operator on 5G in Scandinavia, Telenor will ramp up the roll out of 5G to our customers in Norway in 2020. The full modernisation of the mobile network in Norway is an ambitious undertaking, and something we are excited to get started on," says Petter-Børre Furberg, CEO of Telenor Norway.
The modernisation will take 4-5 years. Due to this, Telenor will use equipment from existing RAN vendor Huawei to maintain the 4G network and also upgrade to 5G coverage in selected areas of Norway. This is to ensure that Telenor Norway's customers have the most optimal user experience and can continue to enjoy a fast and reliable mobile network during the modernisation.
The radio access network represents the outer layer of the mobile network ensuring the end customer connectivity. The inner layer, represented by the core network, is being upgraded through our agreements with Nokia and Ericsson, as previously announced. The core network is where the services to the customers are produced and they are delivered over the radio access network. The full mobile network, including core, is planned, operated and managed by Telenor Norway.
Piloting the network of the future
In Norway, after recently having launched Scandinavia's largest 5G pilot at Elverum, Telenor is already in the midst of the process of building 5G in the city of Trondheim.
Since 2018, Telenor has launched 5G pilots in a number of locations in the Nordics and Asia. The testing is carried out with the main network vendors to evaluate what different technology solutions are available, and to identify Telenor's own requirements for the new 5G network. Currently, the Telenor Group is testing 5G in ten locations in Norway as well as selected areas in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Thailand and Malaysia.
The 5G technology is an advanced and innovative technology that opens up new possibilities for both consumers, businesses and the society as a whole.
"Telenor's network for the future will give Norwegians access to products and services that have never before been available. With 5G we get fiber optic speed over the mobile network," says Petter-Børre Furberg.
Press contact:
Hanne Knudsen, VP, Telenor Group Communications
M: +4790804015 | hanne.knudsen@telenor.com
