INTERVIEW: Telenor will not “push 5G” until the use cases have been developed, CEO Sigve Brekke (pictured) explained, adding he does not believe the new technology will be rolled out in a similar fashion to 4G.

In an interview with Mobile World Live, Brekke said the company was testing 5G for specific applications, but sought to dampen hype around the technology itself, stating the more important aspect was what it would be used for.

“We don’t want to rush this. 5G isn’t going to be a general upgrade of your network like 4G was. 5G will be driven by use cases,” he said, adding: “We are testing out this on a smart city concept – how can 5G make cities smarter not least in public transportation, we have tested it out on driverless cars and driverless boats.”

Brekke added the operator was also working with health authorities to investigate how 5G technology can support applications in this sector.

During the wide-ranging interview, Brekke also discussed the progress of the company’s digital transformation strategy and ongoing efficiency drive (including major job cuts), which has been underway since the beginning of 2017, and outlined the work done by the mobile industry to close the digital divide.

To watch the interview in full, click here.