Today, the mobile phone is considered an essential tool for many businesses. We rely on good coverage and fast internet for seamless communication and access to various applications, but what exactly is coverage, what alternatives exist and what opportunities does it represent for the future?
What is mobile coverage?
To be able to use our mobile phones to send and receive content, we are dependent on coverage. We get coverage when we are in an area covered by a base station or telephone mast, which sends signals to our mobile phones.
Norway is world-renowned for its long fjords and high mountains, but this also presents challenges when expanding coverage. Among other things, this means that the costs are high, which in turn leads to few providers in the market. Today, the coverage providers consist of Telia, Telenor and ICE. The mobile telephony market is regulated by the Norwegian Communications Authority (Nkom) for competition reasons, and requires coverage providers to allow other mobile providers to lease coverage from them.
Is access to coverage discriminated against among suppliers and subcontractors?
We occasionally meet customers who have heard rumours that providers who rent coverage from either Telenor or Telia do not have the same quality of coverage. This is not true, and Nkom also regulates here, mandating that there should be no discrimination on access and speed.
On the other hand, network rental providers can decide for themselves which speeds are included in the various types of subscriptions - so there may be differences that you don't realise in advance.
Ice currently has no subcontractors and is currently working on building out its own network. Where they cannot offer their own Ice network, they lease from Telia.
Coverage and the opportunities it offers for the future.
Over the years, we've gone from 2G to 3G, then to 4G, and today it's 5G everyone's talking about. The technology behind it is inspiring in itself, but what does it mean in practice - and how will it affect your business?
IoT (Internet of things) is becoming an increasingly common term for the man in the street, and we are using more and more products that require access to the internet to function. Refrigerators that let you know when you run out of milk, robotic vacuum cleaners and smart speakers that can control lights, music and heating in the household are examples of IoT products that people use in their everyday lives.
Businesses adopting IoT are revolutionising the way we do everyday tasks.
WINNING presents examples of different industries using IoT, ranging from farmers who can monitor the watering of fields, fish farmers who can monitor how much pellets the fish eat, to elderly care centres that have electronic pill dispensers that notify you if your medication is not taken.
All these amazing products exist because of the internet, but they also put pressure on capacity. 5G offers far greater capacity and represents an opportunity for more devices to connect to the internet at the same time. It also provides a record-breaking fast internet without delays. To put this in perspective, Telenor exemplifies the possibility for doctors located in another country to perform remote surgery on a patient using a robot.
Who gets access to 5G?
5G was launched in parts of the country by Ice, Telia and Telenor in 2020, and the rollout continues in full swing this year. Telia aims to have nationwide 5G by 2023. To be able to use 5G technology, you need a SIM card and a mobile phone or other device that supports the new technology.
Contact Adite we'll help you map out your company's opportunities for access to the new 5G technology.
Written by Solveig Hansen 16.02.2021
