Geir Arne is one of the few in Norway who does not have a mobile phone coverage – NRK Vestland

– If I want proper coverage, I have to drive three kilometers to the sea. Clearly disappointing, says the 59-year-old.

live on it remote farm Eikemo In the municipality of Etne in Vestland.

To get there, one must first cross Åkrafjorden between Vestland and Rogaland by boat.

Then wait three kilometers down the road before you reach the farm.

Ger Arne Ikimo has lived there all his life, and he is used to a different life.

At the same time, he and his neighbors also depend on the ability to connect with the outside world.

10-15 years ago, I actually had better mobile coverage than today. The movable mast was then moved along the fjord in favor of better coverage along the European route, he says.

was a newspaper Neighbour Who mentioned this case for the first time.

Saved by landline

Until recently, the village had a land line as the safest way to communicate with the outside world.

When Jer Arne was badly injured in the woods a few years ago, it was the landline that secured him the help he needed.

But now this is gone.

And with poor mobile coverage, even an extra rooftop antenna becomes useless when you need to get a signal.

– Here it says “no network” almost all the time. Sometimes it says 2G, but that’s very rare, says the farmer at Eikemo, while NRK shows off the new phone he got in the kitchen.

– I think I’ll learn the smoke signal. He says sarcastically, I have enough matches and wood.

Hanger Mounted Pneumatic Equipment

He bought expensive aerial equipment and installed it in his neighbor’s hangar. This ensures that it has some internet connection through the mobile network.

But in the yard, there are blank lines when you try to connect.

Sometimes, when the weather is bad, I can get some coverage on the road. But when it’s sunny, you just have to forget, he says.

The satellite phone was also tried, but it stopped working when the Ukraine war started.

little to no coverage

Places like Eikemo, where there is no proper mobile coverage, are becoming less and less in Norway.

Figures from the National Communications Authority (NKOM) show that the number of families without mobile coverage in Norway is low.

– Based on the information I receive, the number is less than 1,000, maybe less than a hundred, says Inger Volstad, head of the competition department at NKOM.

These numbers have remained stable since 2018/2019.

Volstad stresses that Telenor is obligated to provide a replacement when the old land line is decommissioned. It can be wireless solutions or telephony over the Internet.

Telenor’s director of moderation, Arne Quist Christensen, says it’s often possible to meet the audio requirements when the so-called landline network, or cobar network, is phased out.

Since 2019, the number of individuals with Telenor landlines has decreased from 150,000 to just under 3,000 as of today.

– When I started this business, I thought 5-6000 addresses in Norway were a challenge for mobile coverage. But now I’ve come to about 300 titles. For the vast majority of those, there are solutions with other mobile networks and special equipment, or broadband, Christensen says.

Get a visit from Telenor

There are only about 10 homes across Norway which is so challenging that satellite phone is the only solution.

This week, Telenor will travel to Eikemo and try to solve the Geir Arne problem.

– I have good faith that we will be closed. But we always have to keep in mind that topographic conditions can make it tricky, he says.

You can get a new mobile mast

In the long run, there may also be a better solution for Eikemo. Etne Municipality has received funds from the Vestland County Municipality to develop broadband.

– Eikemo is one of the places I want to prioritize. And where it is very easy to find a solution. But this is a business that will be up for tender, says Etne Mayor Mitt Heidi Bergswag Eckerheim (Sp), who admits she doesn’t like that municipal residents don’t get coverage.

She believes that a mobile masts solution is easier to achieve than broadband development, for example

At Eikemo, farmer Non-Arnie hopes there will be a solution.

– I’ve lived here all my life, and I’m used to not getting help from the wider community. But I hope there will be a movable mast, he says.