5G coverage and mobile in Norway: where is there 5G, and which SIM card should you buy?

Updated 26.09.2026. Facts checked against Nkom, Telenor, Telia, Ice and Avinor.

Short answer: Almost all of Norway has 5G: at the end of 2024, 99.7 % of households had basic 5G coverage, and 94.4 % got at least 30 Mbit/s (Nkom). Coverage is weakest in Northern Norway and in the mountains. If you come from the EU/EEA, use your phone as at home. Otherwise you can buy a prepaid SIM in a store or kiosk – you must show valid ID.

Key facts

What applies to you?

• Visitor from the EU/EEA: use your normal plan – in Norway you pay as at home for normal use. See roaming.
• Visitor from the USA, the UK or elsewhere: check what your plan costs in Norway, or buy a Norwegian prepaid SIM. See SIM cards for visitors.
• You live in Norway: check coverage where you live and travel before choosing an operator. See coverage maps.
• Heading into the mountains or Northern Norway: expect gaps in coverage. See where there is 5G.

Where is there 5G in Norway?

According to Nkom’s coverage survey, 99.7 % of households had access to basic 5G coverage at the end of 2024. The share with 5G of at least 30 Mbit/s rose from 83.5 % in mid-2023 to 94.4 %, and the share with 100 Mbit/s from 8.2 % to 21.9 %.

The three northernmost counties lag behind: in Nordland and Finnmark around 85 % of households have 5G of at least 30 Mbit/s, in Troms almost 89 %. Household coverage says little about mountains and the sea – there, land-area coverage matters. Telenor reports 86 % land-area coverage.

Sources: Nkom (published 07.05.2025) and telenor.no, checked 26.09.2026.

Coverage maps: how to check 4G and 5G where you are going

• Nkom – overall view of mobile coverage in Norway: nkom.no, mobile coverage.
• Telenor: coverage map and about coverage.
• Telia: coverage map.
• Ice: about coverage and coverage map.

Check the network your SIM actually uses. Many smaller providers use the big networks – Talkmore, for example, uses Telenor’s 4G and 5G.

Which SIM card should visitors buy?

If you come from the EU/EEA, you usually do not need a Norwegian SIM – use your own plan (see roaming). From other countries, a Norwegian prepaid SIM (kontantkort) can be worth it. Examples (checked 26.09.2026):

• Prepaid SIM: a starter pack costs, for example, NOK 29–99, depending on whether you buy it at a kiosk or in a store. Prepaid SIMs are sold in operator stores, electronics shops, kiosks and many supermarkets. Data packages often last 31 days, and roaming like at home in the EU/EEA is included (operators’ websites, checked 26.09.2026).
• eSIM and top-ups: several prepaid SIMs work with eSIM (see eSIM), and Norwegian prices apply in the EU/EEA. Top-up cards are sold in most supermarkets and kiosks.

Prices and packages change often – check the operator’s website before you buy. Shops and dealers are listed under telecommunications in your city.

How much does mobile internet cost in Norway?

• With an EU/EEA SIM: you pay the same as at home – see roaming.
• Prepaid SIM with a daily rate: at one of the large operators, mobile data costs NOK 20 per day. The first MB costs NOK 20, the rest of the day is free. Calls cost, for example, NOK 0.99 per minute plus a NOK 1.49 connection fee, texts NOK 0.89 (operator’s website, checked 27.09.2026). A week of data therefore costs at most NOK 140 (our calculation).
• Prepaid SIM with data packages: a starter pack costs, for example, NOK 99 and gives 250 MB plus free calls and texts for 14 days. After that you can choose data packages, for example 3–50 GB valid for 31 days (operator’s website, checked 27.09.2026). You see the price in the operator’s app when you top up.
• Monthly plans: prepaid plans cost, for example, from NOK 329 a month with 2 GB and NOK 379 with 8 GB (operator’s website, checked 27.09.2026).

Prices change often – check the operator's website before you buy.

Do I need ID to buy a SIM card in Norway?

Yes. Under the rules Nkom described on 14 January 2025, you must show an original, valid ID – passport, national ID card or Norwegian driving licence – or use an electronic ID such as BankID, for both subscriptions and prepaid cards. Without a Norwegian national identity number, the ID must show your date of birth, place of birth, photo and citizenship. The operator records which ID you used.

Some online purchases require BankID: Telia states that buying a prepaid card online requires BankID identification, and that eSIM requires a registered account holder with BankID. Without BankID, it is easiest to buy a physical SIM in a store with your passport.

eSIM in Norway

Telenor Kontant works with eSIM. At Telia, eSIM requires an account holder registered with BankID (telia.no, checked 26.09.2026). Make sure your phone supports eSIM and is not locked to an operator.

More about using two SIMs and bank SMS codes: Dual SIM in Norway.

Roaming: what does your phone cost in Norway and in Europe?

• EU/EEA: the “roam like at home” rules apply in the 27 EU countries and in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Norwegian customers pay nothing extra for calls, SMS and data for normal use in other EEA countries – and the same applies to EU customers in Norway.
• Fair use: the operator may limit use if consumption is abnormal, for example if you use more abroad than at home over four months.
• Outside the EEA the rules do not apply, for example in Switzerland, Monaco, San Marino, Andorra, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. For the UK, a 2021 agreement protects Norwegian customers for normal use.
• Calling from Norway to another country is not roaming – separate prices apply.

Source: Nkom, checked 26.09.2026. If you come from a country outside the EEA, your own operator sets the price in Norway – check before you travel.

Wi-Fi: where can you find free internet?

At Avinor airports, choose the AIRPORT network, open your browser, select “Free” and log in. You get four hours free and can buy more time and higher speed (Avinor, checked 26.09.2026). Hotels, cafés and accommodation often have their own networks – ask for the password.

On the train: Vy has free Wi-Fi on regional trains and most local trains, including around Oslo. Choose the Vy-wifi or NSB_Interaktiv network – no registration needed. Some older trains have no Wi-Fi, for example on the Ski–Oslo S line and the Bergen Line (vy.no, checked 27.09.2026). At Oslo Airport the Avinor network above applies.

How much data do I need?

It depends mostly on video. Streaming and video calls use far more than maps, messages and browsing. We have worked this out in a separate article: how much data Zoom and Meet use. If you call over Wi-Fi, read about VoWiFi and VoLTE.

Will old phones work? 3G is off, 2G is being phased out

Telenor has already switched off its 3G network and is now phasing out 2G. Customers will be notified well in advance before 2G is switched off (telenor.no, checked 26.09.2026). A phone that only supports 2G or 3G may therefore lose coverage – make sure your phone supports 4G (and ideally VoLTE).

Find mobile and internet providers in your city

Shops, dealers and internet providers in our directory: Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger, Tromsø, Kristiansand.

Photos: coverage, router and Wi-Fi

People also ask

• Where is there 5G in Norway?
• How good is 5G coverage in Norway?
• Is there 5G in Northern Norway?
• Where can I find a Norway 5G coverage map?
• Telenor, Telia and Ice coverage maps
• 5G in Oslo – where do I check?
• Which SIM card should tourists buy in Norway?
• How much is a prepaid SIM card in Norway?
• Where can I buy a SIM card in Norway?
• Do I need ID to buy a prepaid SIM?
• Can I buy a SIM without BankID?
• Can I get an eSIM in Norway?
• What does roaming cost in Norway?
• Does EU roaming apply in Norway?
• Does roam like at home apply in Switzerland and the UK?
• Where can I find free Wi-Fi in Norway?
• Is there free Wi-Fi at Oslo Airport?
• How much mobile data do I need?
• Is 2G being switched off in Norway?
• How much does mobile internet cost in Norway?
• Is there free Wi-Fi on trains in Norway?

Sources

All links checked 26.09.2026.

• Nkom: strong increase in 5G coverage (07.05.2025, Norwegian)
• Nkom: mobile coverage, interactive dashboard (Norwegian)
• Nkom: international roaming (Norwegian)
• Nkom: new rules against ID theft (14.01.2025, Norwegian)
• Telenor: about coverage (Norwegian)
• Telenor: prepaid (Norwegian)
• Telia: prepaid (Norwegian)
• Telia: coverage map (Norwegian)
• Ice: about coverage (Norwegian)
• Talkmore: 4G and 5G from Telenor (Norwegian)
• Avinor: free Wi-Fi at the airport
• Telenor: mobile plan prices (Norwegian)
• Vy: internet on board

Readers’ experiences

How was the coverage where you travelled – in the mountains, in Lofoten, on the ferry? Tell us which SIM or eSIM you used and how it worked, in the comments at the bottom of the page. We use your experiences when we update this guide.