4G Mobile Service Debuts in Norway

A Swedish telecom firm has become the first carrier to offer 4G wireless service, albeit on a very limited basis. TeliaSonera announced Monday that its 4G/LTE network for data services would be available initially in Stockholm, Sweden and Oslo, Norway, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. The carrier plans to expand 4G coverage to 25 cities in Sweden and four in Norway by the end of 2010.

On paper, TeliaSonera's 4G mobile broadband sounds blisteringly fast, with speeds of up to 100 Mbits/second--up to ten times faster than the provider's Turbo 3G service, the company says. Users of data-intensive apps such as video conferencing, online gaming, and Web TV broadcasting would benefit from 4G speeds, which initially is for data services only. The company's FAQ provides additional pricing and service details.

As is often the case with cutting-edge tech, early adopters will face some major challenges when upgrading to 4G. TeliaSonera customers, for instance, will need a special modem manufactured by Samsung to access the 4G network. And since the Samsung modem isn't compatible with 3G networks, users will need a separate 3G modem for when they leave the 4G coverage area. The good news is that a 3G-4G combo modem should be ready by Q2 2010.