Telenor has launched what it claims is Scandinavia’s largest 5G pilot in the Norwegian municipality of Elverum.

Telenor is Norway’s first operator to integrate 5G into its mobile network.

Through the project, delivered in partnership with Ericsson, 50 pilot customers in the municipality will be connected to the 5G network to test 5G on mobile handsets, broadband and TV, as well as smart home solutions.

Petter Furberg, CEO, Telenor Norway, said, “This is an important day both for the residents of Elverum and us at Telenor. With the launch of Scandinavia’s largest 5G pilot, we have strengthened our commitment to 5G. The residents of Elverum have exciting times ahead of them, reaping the benefits of what next-generation mobile technology has to offer.”

Next in Norway

Over the next year, Telenor also plans to launch 5G in the Norwegian cities of Fornebu, Trondheim, Bodø, Oslo, Askvoll, Svalbard, Kvitfjell and Frøya.

Jenny Lindqvist, Head of Northern & Central Europe at Ericsson, said, “The success of this 5G pilot signals great things in store not just for Elverum but for Norway as a whole. The benefits of 5G’s high speeds, low latency, and superior reliability will make a real difference.”

Earlier this year, Telenor Denmark announced 5G trials with Nokia, while in Asia this month, Telenor’s Malaysian operation, Digi, partnered with Cyberview to open a 5G lab in the country. The ‘OpenLab’ will be a collaborative space for businesses academics and developers to test new 5G use cases.