Page 67 - SAMENA Trends - May 2020

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Telia Norge Launches 5G Commercially

Norwegian mobile operator Telia Norge
has switched on its 5G network in
Lillestrom and parts of Grorddalen, in
the greater Oslo region, and added that
it aims to expand 5G coverage in Oslo in
2020, and add Trondheim and Bergen
to the operational footprint during the
course of the year. In a press release
regarding the development published by
vendor partner Ericsson – which is the
sole radio access network (RAN) supplier
to Telia Norge – it was also noted that the
Norwegian operator is aiming to cover half
of the population with 5G in 2021, before
achieving nationwide coverage in 2023.
Commenting, Telia Norge CEO Stein-Erik
Vellan, said: ‘this is an important day in
Telia’s and our customers’ history. In a
time when we really see the importance proud to be able to open our 5G network to we will enable new opportunities and we
of our digital infrastructure for keeping customers with Lillestrom as the first place hope the Norwegian people will enjoy the
the wheels spinning, we are incredibly out. Through the partnership with Ericsson new and pioneering mobile technology.’

Phone Tower Upgrades and Satellite Trucks to be Rolled Out for Future

Bushfires

Mobile phone towers will be reinforced and trucks and "cells on wheels" to be operated so people could continue to access
internet satellite trucks deployed under a by telcos – which can temporarily restore services when infrastructure was knocked
bushfire resilience package designed to services in areas suffering outages. A out. An Australian Communications and
prepare Australia's telecommunications further $7 million will go towards installing Media Authority review of the summer
networks for increasingly severe disasters. about 2000 NBN Co satellites at rural fire bushfires' impact on communications
The federal government has announced stations and evacuation centres and $2.1 networks found a total 888 separate
the four-pronged, $37 million strategy million will be spent on improving access outage incidents of four hours or more,
after the unprecedented bushfire season to information on telecommunications with some facilities going down multiple
exposed vulnerabilities in phone and during emergencies. Communications times. NSW accounted for most, with 681
internet networks. The crisis knocked out Minister Paul Fletcher said Australia incidents. The vast majority were caused
more than 1000 phone towers and other needed to learn the lessons of the 2019- by loss of power, with only 1 per cent
facilities across south-east Australia. 20 bushfire season and ensure people caused by direct fire damage. The average
Under the resilience package, the could communicate with family and length of an outage was 3.5 days and the
government will put $18 million towards essential services during disasters. issue peaked over the New Year because
strengthening mobile phone base stations "These measures are an important step in of the Currowan, Green Valley and East
to deal with loss of mains power, which further strengthening our telco networks," Gippsland fires. The telecommunications
was the main cause of outages. A total he said. Regional Communications resilience measures are part of an overall
of $10 million will come from the existing Minister Mark Coulton said the measures $650 million rebuilding package for local
mobile black spot program for regional supplemented funding already provided councils and communities affected by the
areas and upgrades will include longer- under the government's mobile black spot bushfires. The assistance is the last major
lasting backup power such as batteries program and meant regional areas would element of the $2 billion bushfire recovery
and generators. Another $10 million will be "much better prepared during future fund.
be used to purchase portable facilities – emergencies". A key goal of the package is
including NBN Co's "Road Muster" satellite to introduce more "redundancy" in networks

67 MAY 2020