2026-10-30
Telia
Telia Company is expanding commercial 5G standalone capabilities across its Nordic footprint while preparing a structural change to its radio network in Norway, where it plans to combine operations with rival Ice. The two operators will keep separate core networks and continue competing in the market, but their radio access network will be run through a joint operation with its own organisation. The arrangement is subject to ongoing regulatory discussions.
Speaking during Telia’s third-quarter earnings call, chief executive officer and president Patrik Hofbauer said the 5G standalone expansion covers connectivity, security and new services. “We are expanding commercial 5G standalone capabilities across our footprint for safer and more reliable connectivity, better protection against digital threats, and as a platform for new services that can take advantages of the full potential of 5G,” Hofbauer said. Telia did not provide further geographic detail or a specific rollout timetable for the standalone expansion during the call.
The Norway change carries the harder numbers. Telia expects the joint radio operation to start at the beginning of 2027, with traffic migration completed before the end of that year and network build-out continuing through 2030. Hofbauer said the arrangement should generate substantial cost and capital expenditure synergies while improving the network. The combined radio network is expected to improve coverage in rural and urban areas, along roads and railways, and at cabins, while increasing capacity. Hofbauer also said the arrangement would support competition and consumer choice and make Norway’s digital infrastructure more resilient.
The financial case rests on a narrow band. Telia expects limited impact on service revenue and EBITDA in the near term, with more significant cost and capital expenditure synergies developing over time. Annual benefits are estimated at between NOK 300 million ($32.3 million) and NOK 400 million from 2029 onward. That is roughly 0.5% of Telia’s 2026 group revenue guidance of SEK 80 billion, which means the deal is a network-architecture bet. The payoff is coverage and capacity. Margin is secondary.
The Norway move sits alongside a broader simplification programme. Telia said it is modernising and closing legacy systems, consolidating partner and vendor ways of working, and improving delivery accuracy. During the quarter the company launched enhanced Caller ID in Finland and Mobile DNS Firewall in several countries.
Supplier’s note: Telia-branded RAN gear and spare radios are a recurring line in our Nordic stock, particularly Ericsson AIR 6449 and Nokia AirScale units that carriers in the region standardised on during the 2019-2021 rollout wave. When a Norwegian operator starts migrating traffic onto a shared radio layer, surplus site equipment typically enters the secondary market 12 to 18 months later, and we have seen that pattern before with Telenor’s 2022 consolidation. Lead time for refurbished 5G mid-band radios from Nordic operators runs 6 to 8 weeks including testing and firmware reset. We hold stock on a rolling basis. Carrier surplus volumes are lumpy and the best units move within days of listing. Buyers asking about Telia-compatible spares should specify band (n78 or n1) and whether they need baseband or radio only, since the two are often separated during decommissioning.
Source: RCR Wireless News, October 29, 2026. https://rcrwireless.com/20261029/5g/telia-5g-sa-norway-ran