The copper network is shut down
- what does it mean for your business?

The copper network has given businesses access to the internet and telephony for over 100 years. Now it's being decommissioned, and businesses need to consider the consequences for their organisation and what alternatives are available.

What alternatives are there?
Businesses' data usage is increasing and there are ever greater demands on internet speed. The copper network no longer meets these demands and will be phased out by 2022. The decommissioning of the copper network means that all services within DSL technology, including ADSL, which many people are familiar with, as well as landline telephony, will be phased out. If your company still uses this type of technology, you must find alternative solutions for both internet access and telephony by the end of 2022.

As of today, there are over 40 thousand accesses that need to be ported from old to new technology. For internet accesses the choice is between fibre and fixed mobile broadband, with fibre being the clear favourite clear favourite in terms of capacity and speed. Prices are falling as a result of increased competition among fibre providers. This means that it is favourable to switch from from copper to fibre now, when prices are low, rather than doing so at a later date time when prices may have risen again. The increased competition also opens up opportunities for savings for those of you who already have fibre today.

There are many places in Norway that don't have access to fibre yet - what do you do then?
If fibre is not available in your area and the cost of installation is too high, fixed mobile broadband has recently been launched as an alternative. Many people confuse this with its namesake, mobile broadband, but there are differences that are worth noting.

• Mobile broadband makes it possible to be online everywhere. The limitation lies in small data packages, where the price increases and the speed decreases sharply when the data package is used up. This means that mobile broadband is not a good alternative to fibre.

• Fixed mobile broadband on the other hand, provides access to a router with geo-locking to the company's address, as well as generous data packages and high speeds. Although fixed mobile broadband can't compete with fibre, it's still the best option if fibre isn't an option.

What's best for your business?
It can be challenging and time-consuming to familiarise yourself with the options available and what's best for your business. Get in touch With Adite, we'll help you map your needs and investigate what opportunities exist in your area. In addition, we take care of the entire procurement process, so you can focus on your company's core tasks.

Written by Solveig Hansen and Jon Ivar Bjørtomt (16.11.20)