The new 5G trial will be carried out in partnership with Nokia during 2019
BARCELONA–Nordic telecom group Telenor says its new 5G pilot in Denmark, which adds to existing trials in Norway, will allow the telco to enter into an “experimental mode” for a long time to test different 5G use cases, Kim Krogh Andersen, SVP and head of global technology strategy and 5G strategic program at Telenor Group, told RCR Wireless News.
Under this recently announced trial, Finnish vendor Nokia will test 5G capabilities in both the Radio Access Network and the mobile core network in Denmark.
The executive did not give an exact location of the 5G trial but said that 5G technology will be probably tested in large cities across the country.
Andersen also highlighted that Telenor will initially focus on two 5G use cases — namely, Fixed Wireless Access and Enhanced Mobile Broadband.
“With these 5G trials, we want to be in an experimental mode to test the network in order to get ready for advanced 5G use cases,” the executive added. “With the 5G trials we are currently involved, we will get the learning on how to deploy and how to integrate 5G into existing infrastructure.”
Under this 5G trial, Nokia will deploy AirScale base stations for piloting 5G in Telenor Denmark’s commercial RAN and will also test new functions in the cloud-core network. The trials will support 5G use cases such as robotics control, industrial automation, 5G/LTE dual connectivity and FWA for high-performance, last-mile connectivity.
The trials, which are planned to start in the second quarter of 2019, will also support Telenor Group’s strategy to evolve its cloud infrastructure to enable LTE and new 5G-based services leveraging edge cloud deployments. Telenor Group previously entered into an agreement with Nokia to deliver its AirGile cloud-native core solution in a modernization effort of the carrier’s core mobile networks.
Additionally, during MWC 2019, Telenor confirmed that a new 5G pilot will be carried out in the city of Elverum, Norway, in partnership with Ericsson.
Telenor said It plans to deploy a total of 5G base stations in the city for this pilot initiative, which is expected to be operational by mid-2019.
Telenor is already carrying out another 5G pilot in Norway using gear provided by Chinese telecom vendor Huawei.
At a press conference during MWC 2019, Telenor’s Bjorn Ivar Moen, acting CEO of Telenor Norway, said that the company will soon announce the first city in Norway to receive 5G. Telenor plans to commercially launch 5G services in Norway in 2020.
Moen also said that Telenor has also selected 10 5G projects in other locations across Norway to test business possibilities through 5G technology.
Telenor operates in Norway, Denmark, Sweden as well as in several markets across Asia.
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