Telia Finland and Telenor’s Finnish operation, DNA, have agreed to expand the mobile network built through their jointly owned Finnish Shared Network (SYV), operating in Northern and Eastern Finland. Separately, Telia said it has decided to shut down its 3G network by the end of 2023.
The shared network, SYV, will extend further southwest to the Raahe-Loviisa line, covering cities such as Oulu, Kuopio and Kouvola, said Telia. The cooperation will speed up the 5G construction in this area by approximately one year.
Telia said the SYV joint venture with DNA enables more efficient construction and operation of mobile networks. SYV now covers 50 percent of the operational area and 13.5 percent of the population, but this will be extended to 62.5 percent of the area and 28.5 percent of the population.
Telia and DNA will continue to offer independently competing services to customers in the joint network area. SYV will build and operate radio networks based on 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G technologies, said Telia. The venture owns radio network equipment and rents masts and base station sites from operators and third parties.
In October 2020, SYV announced the launch of a 5G programme and the modernisation of the radio network with Nokia. The company will immediately start integrating the new area into the construction plan for this year, said Telia.
On the subject of its 3G network shut-down, Telia chief technology officer Jari Collin said now is a good time to bring the well-served 3G system towards sunset, and referred to the evolution of new technologies.
After Telia decommissions its 3G network, phones and subscriptions that use 3G will keep running on the GSM network. In practice, data connections require a switch to 4G services, said Telia. Collin said Telia will supports its customers to upgrade during the transition. He added that active mobile internet users have generally switched to 4G and 5G anyway.
