Norway

Norwegian regulator Nkom flagged plans to allocate frequencies in the 26GHz and 1500MHz bands for 5G services in 2023, although it noted that the timing of the award will depend on a number of factors.

Telia Norway struck a deal with the Norwegian Defense Materiel Agency to deploy a private 5G network for military use, prioritising secure use of data for the country’s armed forces.

The Norwegian Communications Authority (Nkom) waded into the debate over interference from C-Band 5G networks with aircraft altimeters, claiming tests in Norway uncovered no problems.

Norway’s independent consumer council blamed a lack of competition in the mobile sector for high data tariffs, in comments made as part of a newspaper expose on comparative connectivity costs across the region.

Norway joined other western nations in expressing concerns about Chinese vendor Huawei, as the government reportedly considers banning the company from participating in its 5G infrastructure deployment.

Telia agreed to acquire Denmark-based TDC’s Norway business for NOK21 billion ($2. 6 billion), as it looks to position itself as a “strong challenger in mobile, TV and broadband”.

Apple Pay completed the latest stage of its expansion with launches in Norway and Poland, taking the number of markets where the service is available to 18 in Europe and 29 globally.