Telia Norge rusts the mobile network for the future and ensures more space for 4G and the future 5G. The company is planning gradual phasing out of the 3G network from the turn of the year 2018/2019 so that the frequencies currently used for 3G can be used to ensure even better customer experiences in the coming years.
Telia Norway has the tradition of being first out with new technology, and was only in Norway at 4G, 4G +, 4.5G and Narrowband IoT.
"Now we will further strengthen ourselves for all our customers, and prepare for 5G and the increased data requirements of the future. Phasing out the 3G network is a natural development that will provide even better customer experiences, whether customers use the mobile or tablet to chat, surf or stream, "says Kjersti Jamne, Director of the Private Market in Telia Norway. "We will obviously inform our customers more concrete when approaching, but we want to share this in good time so that relatively few affected customers are given the opportunity to change. We urge all customers who currently have old 3G phones, switching to phones that can also use 4G. Then they will have a much better experience both when talking on the phone and when using data.
Not sustainable for the future
The plan is to start 3G phasing out at the turn of the year, and by 2020 the job will be completed. Telia will provide solutions that facilitate new technology, and Dag Wigum, Technical Director of Telia Norway, believes it is not a sustainable position to continue to offer all generations of mobile technology:
"In order to accommodate technology in the future, we simply need to phase out the old one. We must prioritize the frequencies we have with the latest technology, namely today's 4G and the future 5G, as well as the development of a nationwide IoT network. 4G can deliver tremendously more data and speed in the cellular network over the same frequency band as compared to the old technologies. In this way, we ensure our customers the best online experience, "said Wigum.
Customers already call 4G
New mobile communications services are evolving over time, and usage increases sharply. The development goes against a clean 4G world, and many already call over the 4G network with phones that support calls over the 4G network, so-called 4G Tale.
"The most natural thing is to start off the 3G network because the switch to 4G phones goes so fast with customers. Not long will 3G network use because they call 4G and 4G coverage will be as good as 2G coverage, says Dag Wigum. - The shutdown of 2G is further ahead, but technically we will be ready to start the job when 3G is phased out. It is nevertheless important to emphasize that final 2G phasing will of course depend on competition and market conditions as well as the spread of phones that support 4G Tale, concludes Wigum.