The Norwegian Mobile Telephony and Internet Markets

AbstractNorway has been a pioneer in the development and adoption of the Internet and mobile telephony technologies. Already from an early stage, Norway was involved in research, development, and testing of initiatives such as the ARPANET project and the Nordic Mobile Telephone (NMT) system. Today, access to the Internet and mobile technologies—including smartphones—is globally widespread. The major objective of this chapter is to describe how the market for the Internet and mobile telephony in Norway has evolved since its inception in the 1970s until today. The historical and current market structure of telecommunications is discussed. Moreover, the chapter investigates the role and significance of mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). Finally, the chapter examines the regulations imposed by the Norwegian Communications Authority (Nkom) on dominant stakeholders in the Norwegian telecom market.