About our History

More than 155 years of accumulated experience within telecommunications, coupled with a pioneering spirit and a quest for knowledge and development – are what have brought Telenor to where it is today. Telenor Group has mobile operations in 11 markets around the world and in additionally 19 markets through our 31,67 per cent ownership in VimpelCom Ltd. Go ahead and explore our history – in text, film and pictures.

View the Telenor History

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1994

1994(Photo: Jan Greve /SCANPIX )

The Winter Olympic Games at Lillehammer in 1994 represent a breakthrough in mobile telephony.
Photo: Jan Greve /SCANPIX

  • International media describe the Winter Games at Lillehammer as "The Mobile Phone Olympics" – 25,000 mobile phones are in use.
  • ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) is introduced and the service is a huge success.
  • Norwegian Telecom becomes a public corporation.
  • Oslonett publishes its first online newspaper.

1993

1993(Photo: Russel Monk/Masterfile/SCANPIX)

Pannon is established in Budapest, Hungary in 1993.
Photo: Russel Monk/Masterfile/SCANPIX

  • Norwegian Telecom declares the GSM-system officially opened.
  • Pannon GSM is established to deliver mobile telephony in Hungary.

1992

1992(Photo: Norwegian Telecom Museum)

Televerket buys the communications satellite THOR I.
Photo: Norwegian Telecom Museum

  • Fibre optic cable connects Norway and Denmark.
  • THOR I is purchased and moved to the 1ºWest position. It is established as a DTH TV operator and broadcasts a number of commercial channels, including CNN, Eurosport, Discovery and MTV.
  • Norwegian Telecom develops international business in accordance with customer needs.
  • The first Short Message Service (SMS) is sent on 3 December, via Vodafone’s GSM network in Great Britain and reads: Merry Christmas.

1990

1990(Photo: Studio MPM/Corbis/SCANPIX)

The 1990s see a huge increase in the use of mobile telephones.
Photo: Studio MPM/Corbis/SCANPIX

  • Standards for interconnecting the services are developed.
  • Cooperation with international partners to create technical solutions such as satellite services, the NMT 450 (Nordic Mobile Telephone) and GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) mobile systems.