Telia is offering the service across its entire Norwegian footprint under the name Advanced 5G
In sum – what to know:
First nationwide SA 5G in Norway – Telia has launched commercial 5G SA across its full Norwegian footprint after completing its 5G rollout in 2024.
Lower latency and network slicing – SA architecture reduces latency to below 10 milliseconds and supports dedicated network slices for critical applications.
Still early globally – Only about 10% of operators worldwide have introduced commercial 5G SA, according to GSA data.
Telia has become the first operator in Norway to introduce commercial 5G standalone (5G SA) services nationwide, following completion of its countrywide 5G rollout in 2024.
The Nordic operator is offering the service across its entire Norwegian footprint under the name Advanced 5G.
Unlike non-standalone deployments, 5G SA connects the radio access network directly to a dedicated 5G core rather than relying on legacy 4G infrastructure. This enables features such as network slicing and lower latency. Telia said latency can fall below 10 milliseconds, compared with 15–18 milliseconds on non-standalone 5G, while also allowing more devices to connect simultaneously.
Telia said these capabilities are particularly relevant for sectors that require high reliability and fast response times, including emergency services, healthcare, and industrial automation.
Bjørn Ivar Moen, head of Telia Norway, said: “Advanced 5G is like an airport ‘fast-track’ lane: you move smoothly past the queue without stopping. We see growing demand for such technology, since today’s mobile networks are increasingly used for critical functions on which entire societies depend.”
Prior to the commercial launch, Telia conducted pilot projects with organizations including public broadcaster NRK, the Norwegian Armed Forces and construction firm Veidekke.
According to GSA data, around 10% of mobile operators globally have launched commercial 5G SA services.
Earlier this month, Telia Norway and rival opeator ice have agreed to combine their mobile radio access networks (RANs) in Norway through a jointly owned company, with network operations expected to begin in the second quarter of 2026.
The agreement involves Telia Norway and Lyse, the Norwegian energy and telecom group that owns ice.
Under the proposed structure, a new 50/50-owned entity will take ownership of both companies’ Norwegian mobile RAN assets, including radio equipment and base stations. The entity will provide RAN services to Telia Norway and ice based on capacity usage, while spectrum assets from both parties will be made available to the combined network.
The pair said the combined RAN is expected to deliver substantial improvements in mobile coverage across Norway by 2027, with a particular focus on rural areas.
Telia Company reported flat revenue and lower net income in 2025 compared with 2024, reflecting continued service revenue growth and cost discipline offset by a significant non-cash provision related to asset retirement obligations.
“In Norway, service revenue was close to flat despite lower mobile wholesale revenue since mobile end user and fixed revenue improved clearly. This was mainly driven by pricing and resulted in significant ARPU growth across our core services,” the company’s President and CEO, Patrik Hofbauer, recently told a conference call with investors.
