Norwegian History

The history of Norwegian telecom is in many ways identical to the history of Telenor. During the course of its 150-year long history, the name has seen several changes. These changes represent the different phases of Norwegian telecom history. The public company that started out in 1855 as the ‘The Royal Electric Telegraph’ is what we now know as Telenor. The company has gone from being a governmental institution, focused on telegraphy, to become a global shareholding company offering some of the most advanced telecommunication technologies and services in the world.

Later
Earlier

2009

  • Telenor and the banking industry launch Bank ID for mobile phones – an electronic, identification and authentication solution where safety elements are stored in the SIM card.
  • Telenor launches Mobilt Bedriftsnett, the dominant solution for business telephony in Norway, which allows companies to connect their employees - closer, simpler and more clearly.
  • Telenor launches new online music store in partnership with retail chain Platekompaniet, offering inexpensive streaming and downloading of local and international music.

2008

  • For the first time in global mobile history, a book exclusively written for publication on a mobile phone is launched. The Norwegian author Andreas Markusson’s new crime novel "Første gang jeg døde" (The first time I died), is the first novel in the world to be launched via mobile phone.

2007

  • Telenor, Norway is granted a license in the 2.6 GHz band for 4G (Fourth Generation).
  • The digital terrestrial network opens in Norway.

2006

  • Rebranding Telenor: Telenor launches the new Group logo and visual design in Telenor Norway, Sonofon, Denmark and Pannon, Hungary. The symbol is adopted by ten operations in eight different countries. This rebranding builds stronger ties across the Group.
  • EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) is introduced in the market.

2005

  • Safe transition to digital TV: Telenor plans to build digital terrestrial TV network in Norway.
  • Telenor celebrates its 150th anniversary and gives away 7000 PCs and digital teaching aids to Norwegian primary and secondary schools.