Bergur Thormundsson
Research expert covering technology in the Nordics, AI and smart cities
Telecommunication industry in selected Nordic countries - statistics & facts
The Nordic region is one of the world’s most digitized and advanced in telecommunications. It houses large telecom providers such as Nokia and Ericsson, both leading companies in the coverage of 5G and other major telecom infrastructures. The existence of just these two large telecom companies introduces a significant amount of competition in the region. Other major companies in the region providing telecommunications and mobile services include Telenor, Telia, Eltel, and Tele2.
Mostly balanced coverage across the region
When looking at connections per capita, it is Finland that is the most well-connected through mobile subscriptions, though all the Nordics have more than one connection per capita, indicating a high degree of connectivity and mobile use. This overall balance in mobile connections is not quite matched when looking at fixed call services. Changing digitization trends mean that these fixed call services are being phased out in the Nordic countries and a steep decline since 2015 was noticeable across the region. Finland has phased these services out faster than the others and in 2021 it had barely twice as many subscriptions as Iceland, a country with less than 10 percent of the population.5G rollout has been unequal
The latest generation of telecom infrastructure, 5G, has been a much-debated topic, as it touches on national security, personal safety, and government spending on infrastructure. Nokia and Ericsson are the largest non-Chinese providers of infrastructure for this technology. Despite these two companies being Nordic, the region has had a seriously uneven rollout of the technology. While in Denmark, Norway, and Finland the 5G coverage was over 80 percent, in Sweden and Iceland it was far lower. Sweden being the most populous market. in the Nordics and having the lowest coverage of 5G is a significant issue for the region’s attractiveness to high-end technology companies working with AI or Internet of Things technologies. Sweden’s lack of coverage is owed in large part to government disagreements on secure vendors for infrastructure as well as a lack of investment among Telecommunication companies.Only minor changes needed for better networks
Despite the inconsistencies, the Nordics represent a vibrant market for telecom services, housing a wealth of high-tech startups and companies. The region already hosts major telecoms companies and continued investment in infrastructure and technology will further enable these companies to grow and innovate.
