Ericsson will also help Telia Norway modernize its entire radio network
Ericsson will be the sole 5G radio access network (RAN) vendor for Nordic communications service provider Telia’s next-generation nationwide network in Norway. Ericsson will not only be supplying hardware and software products and solutions to the operator, but will also work with Telia Norway to modernize the operator’s entire radio network as part of the move to 5G.
This modernization process, according to a press release, will include the deployment of the industry-unique Ericsson Spectrum Sharing software, which will enable Telia to share its spectrum between 4G and 5G use.
Abraham Foss, CEO, Telia Norway, expects that the operator’s entrance into 5G will allow the company to remain “at the forefront of digitalization.”
“Our goal is to bring nationwide 5G coverage within the next four years,” Foss continued, “and we’re very pleased to be taking a leading role in this continued development of Norway with our partner Ericsson.”
Arun Bansal, president of Europe and Latin America, Ericsson, commented on the partnership as well, saying, “We are pleased to strengthen our position in the Nordic countries through this landmark 5G deal with Telia Norway. We will work closely in partnership with Telia Norway to bring the best possible commercial 5G experiences to their customers.”
Telia Norway is also exploring the potential of 5G to enable sustainable new opportunities, including in the Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0 for enterprises, the home and smart cities. In fact, Telia Norway and Ericsson are already partnering on a 5G pilot network in Trondheim, Norway that will incorporate smart transport, automation and artificial intelligence (AI) functionalities.
5G rollout is expected to begin in 2020, and both companies anticipate that the first 5G commercial services will be also available next year, with nationwide 5G coverage in Norway achieved by end of 2023.
Telia Norway isn’t the only operator in Norway to take interest in Ericsson over Nokia and Huawei. Earlier this week, Norwegian telecoms giant Telenor launched the largest 5G pilot in Scandinavia using Ericsson Radio System technology after making headlines for using Huawei equipment in previous trials. The more than 50 customers across the municipality that will be able to connect to Telenor’s 5G network are located in Elverum municipality, about 80 miles north of the capital city Oslo.
Currently, Ericsson has only reported the 26 5G contracts that it is in the position to publicly announce, while Nokia has contracts with 25 operators — totaling 48 commercial agreements — and Huawei has reportedly won more than 50 contracts.
