The Nordic telecom group aims to launch commercial 5G services in Finland next year
Nordic telecommunications group Telia has activated its 5G network at the Telia 5G Arena in Helsinki, Finland.
The telco said that the first base stations are now operational in Helsinki, and the first phase of the 5G rollout will continue during the coming months. The base stations were provided by Nokia.
The carrier said that a full-scale commercial operation will be possible in 2019, after the 3.5 GHz 5G frequency auction has been conducted in Finland. Telia’s 5G network in Helsinki operates on test frequencies issued by the Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority.
The telco also highlighted that a wide commercial launch is dependent on availability of standard-compliant 5G devices, like modems, tablets and mobile phones.
“For two years we have prepared for 5G with demos and trials. We set up the 5G Finland cooperation network to create and pilot 5G services with our partners, and now we can continue exploring the possibilities of 5G in a real live network,” said Jari Collin, CTO at Telia Finland.
Telia partnered with Nokia for the launch of 5G in Finland.
“We are pleased to begin the deployment of the first 5G base stations in Finland and we will continue working with Telia Company to identify the technologies and services that meet the demands of consumers and industries in the 5G era,” said Jan Lindgren, head of the Telia customer team at Nokia.
Telia previously said that it will trial 5G use cases in Swedish capital Stockholm this year. In 2017, Telia, together with Ericsson and Intel, deployed what was claimed to be the first public 5G live network use cases in Europe. The trial included a high-speed 5G connection to a commercial cruise ship, delivering internet connectivity to the ship and its passengers while in port; and an industrial use case featuring a construction excavator remotely controlled with a live 5G network. Both trials were initially carried out in the Estonian capital, Tallinn.
In May, the prime ministers of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden signed a letter of intent to foster the development and adoption of 5G technologies.
The heads of state said that the deployment of 5G will require substantial investments as well as an appropriate regulatory framework. They committed to create the conditions in the public sector for the development of 5G technologies. The prime ministers also said they will cooperate closely to set up a common action plan for early adoption of 5G technology across the Nordic region.
The CEOs of leading Nordic telecommunication companies welcomed the letter of intent on 5G development. The companies supporting this 5G initiative included Ericsson, Nokia, Iceland Telecom, TDC Group, Telenor Group, Tele2 Group, Telia and Vodafone Iceland.
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