Telia hopes to reach nationwide coverage in Norway next year with its 5G network
Telia Norway has signed an agreement with the Norwegian Defense Materials Agency to develop a strategic private 5G network, as well as a virtual private network implemented as part of Telia Norway’s national 5G network.
“We’ve been testing 5G for years to explore how the defense sector can benefit from technology. We are now taking this a step further by entering into agreements with commercial mobile operators to create strategic, private 5G networks that can be integrated with existing national 5G networks, ”said Eleve Ofigsbo, head of the CIS division of Norwegian Defense Materials.
“Safe communication is a necessity for the armed forces in both peace and crisis, and it is our job at the Defense Materials Agency to provide systems that make this possible. The best benefits come from skills and infrastructure, ”Ofigsbo added.
Telia noted that the architecture of the 5G network ensures that the data of the armed forces can be kept separate from other traffic on the public mobile network through network slicing technology. Telia further highlights that security on 5G networks is already high, including SIM authentication of all devices, encryption of traffic, and licensed radio spectrum. Nevertheless, the Defense Materials Agency will place additional encryption on top of a personal network setup for the armed forces.
John Christian Hillstad, VP Enterprise of Telia Norway, said: “Our experience with private networks in our enterprise mobile network portfolio fits perfectly with such a project. The goal is to enable Telia to provide strategic, private networks as well as a virtual private network as part of Norway’s nationwide public 5G network as a service operated in the Armed Forces within a few years. It’s like a network within a network, “Hillstad added.
“We will be the first in Norway in 2023 to have a nationwide 5G network and invest heavily in developing a secure, reliable and robust mobile network that will benefit all our customers,” the executive added.
Telia Norway’s enterprise mobile network portfolio includes dedicated private networks, hybrid mobile networks, virtual private mobile networks, as well as specialized services on public mobile networks.
Last month, Telia Norway and Ericsson tested 5G using the mmWave spectrum, gaining download speeds close to 4 Gbps.
The 26 GHz mmWave tests in the Norwegian cities of Oslo, Trondheim and Lillestrøm will explore coverage and capacity indoors, outdoors and in densely populated areas.
Telia and Ericsson are collaborating with industry and academia to develop various 5G uses, such as self-propelled trucks, driverless ferry trials in Norway and a driverless electric minibus trial in Stockholm, Sweden.
The two companies said they now see great opportunities for 5G as an innovation platform in the enterprise market, as broader industries can take advantage of 5G connectivity to improve the speed and efficiency of operations, enabling automation, VR and AR applications. .
