Huawei | June 27, 2011 | Press Release
[Svalbard,Norway,27 June, 2011]: Huawei, a leading telecom solutions provider, today announced that it has teamed up with Telenor Norway, the incumbent telecommunications company in Norway, to jointly launch the world’s northernmost LTE site. The site is deployed on Svalbard, an archipelago located at 78°13′N in the Arctic Circle in a climate so extreme that the temperature plummets to 50 degrees below zero in the winter. Huawei’s LTE equipment has historically demonstrated excellent stability in extreme weather conditions and Telenor, which has provided service on the islands for 100 years, has entrusted Huawei to enable it to continue this exemplary service.
100 years ago, Telenor built the first telegraph tower on the islands and now, 100 years later, Telenor has launched Svalbard’s first LTE site. For everything ranging from radio waves to wireless broadband, Huawei will assist Telenor to complete the service platform evolution in order to retain the industry lead.
The unique LTE site, which uses Huawei’s industry-leading SingleRAN LTE solution, is deployed in Longyearbyen, Svalbard’s largest settlement and the world’s most northerly town. During the launch ceremony, attendees were able to test the LTE service and were rewarded with stable and smooth HD video streaming at a downlink speed of more than 100Mbps.
Mr. Harald Norvik, chairman of the board of Telenor Group, said, “Svalbard has changed radically in recent years, and we have continually improved the communications options for the local populace. The launch of this advanced LTE network marks the next step in our evolution.”
“The accomplishment of this LTE launch in the Svalbard archipelago shows that Huawei wireless equipment is capable of optimal performance in even the harshest natural conditions. It’s our honor to cooperate with Telenor in providing this advanced communication service for the denizens of Svalbard. Huawei will continue to understand the requirements of its customers, and we remain committed to being the best business partner for operators around the world,”said Berit Kjøll, Executive Vice President of Huawei Norway.
Huawei has served as the sole wireless vendor of Telenor Norway since 2009, and it is in charge of the entire GSM/UMTS network modernization effort in Norway.
