Danish operator TDC Group revealed plans to launch commercial 5G service on 7 September, ahead of its original end-2020 target, with a pledge to cover 80 per cent of the population by the end of the month.

Announcing the move, CEO Andreas Pfisterer said the launch comes at key moment “when we more than ever need a strong infrastructure” to carry rapidly growing mobile data traffic. The move “paves the way for a new era for the digital economy” and positions the country as a 5G frontrunner, he added.

The operator began work on its 5G network with Ericsson in October 2019, with 2,650 sites upgraded so far. TDC aims to cover 90 per cent of the population by the year end.

Service will initially be offered to customers of the TDC Erhverv, YouSee and Telmore brands, with Relatel customers to be added later this year. The operator noted a compatible device and 5G subscription will be required.

When it contracted Ericsson to deploy its 5G network in March 2019, TDC originally targeted a commercial launch by end-2020.