TeliaSonera To Expand 4G Sweden & Norway Coverage
TeliaSonera, the 4G phone operator in Sweden, is expanding its network coverage to another 29 cities across Sweden and Norway.
The mobile service is currently data only – the first 4G phones aren’t expected to hit the mobile market in Europe until next year. Until then, users access the service by wireless modems / dongles. Charges to access the 4G phone service are SKr599 / $83 a month for 30GB of data.
TeliaSonera is also planning to launch 4G in Finland and will also bid for 4G network licenses in Denmark, Estonia and Lithuania.
First 4G Network Launched
Scandinavian mobile phone operator, TeliaSonera, has launched the world’s first commercial 4G phone network based on LTE technology.
The new 4G phone service is available now to customers in Stockholm, Sweden and Oslo, Norway. TeliaSonera says it’ll start rolling out the service to other major cities in Sweden and Norway soon.
The mobile operator also has a 4G license for Finland.
Norway 4G Network Will Be Built by China
Norway’s Telenor 4G phone network will be built by China’s Huawei. The deal is the biggest so far in 4G / LTE technology in Europe and is said to be worth $175 million / €118 million over the next five years.
The new network will replace technology currently in place by Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Networks.
Ragnar Kårhus, CEO of Telenor Norway, said, “This is the biggest upgrade of the mobile network in Norway we have ever carried out. It will create a solid base for further developing the services offered by the Telenor mobile network and the quality of those services. Our main aim is to provide customers with better, more innovative services across the country. This means better in terms of capacity, speed and stability.”.
Samsung 4G USB Modem Coming
The world’s number one mobile phone manufacturer, Samsung, says it’s signed a deal to supply fourth generation phone technology to TeliaSonera, the largest mobile company in Northern Europe. The company will make 4G USB data modems.
TeliaSonera is expected to commercially launch it’s 4G phone plans next year in Sweden and Norway.
4G for Sweden in 2010
Norwegian mobile phone company Telenor, which owns 4G licenses for both Norway and Sweden, says it will roll out a Swedish 4G phone network next year.
The company explained it was particularly keen to launch 4G in Sweden because of the “extreme traffic growth” in the country. Telenor hopes an LTE / 4G solution will allow them to help with data traffic and costs.
First Commercial 4G Network Live
Norway’s Netcom have become the first commercial 4G mobile phone network in the world.
Currently with four cell sites operating in Oslo, Netcom is expecting to launch a full on 4G / Long Term Evolution (LTE) network in 2010.
4G Test for Oslo
Norwegian telco Telenor will test 4G / Long Term Evolution (LTE) services in Oslo, Norway over the summer.
Equipment and technology for the 4G network will be provided by China’s Huawei Technologies, who are also working with TeliaSonera on their commercial 4G network which is expected to launch in 2010 in Oslo.
