Telia noted that these 5G corridors will connect controlled test areas with public roads

Swedish operator Telia is currently developing 150 kilometers of 5G transport corridors along selected routes between important industrial and technology clusters around the country, the telco said in a statement.

The project is being developed within the framework of the NorthStar innovation program and with previous Europeanfunding awarded in December 2022.

Telia noted that these 5G corridors will connect “controlled test areas” with public roads.  Full-scale tests are scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2024, the Nordic carrier said.

In Stockholm, corridors are being built on the E4 road between Södertälje and Nyköping and Solna and Rosersberg, as well as on the E18 road between Danderyd and Kapellskär. In Gothenburg, corridors are being built along national highway 40 between Råda and Hindås and Hindås and Viared, in close proximity to AstaZero, a full-scale test environment for automated transport systems.

Magnus Leonhardt, head of strategy and innovation at Telia Sweden’s B2B business, said: “We are developing unique 5G infrastructure that will reach public environments. By upgrading the existing 5G network and connecting NorthStar’s innovation network along strategically selected routes in industrially dense regions, we are establishing transport corridors that enable vehicles to switch between local dedicated mobile networks and the public 5G network.”

The executive said that the initiative is a key step forward in the NorthStar innovation program and an important piece of the puzzle in the establishment of a Northern European transport corridor to test and develop systems for connected and autonomous vehicles, such as self-driving electric trucks. “These transport corridors are unique and will play a decisive role in determining whether we are able to introduce new, smarter and more sustainable transport solutions in society in a safe and secure way,” Leonhardt added.

Telia explained that the 5G transport corridors will help to enable automated vehicles to travel from one logistics hub to another. This is a scenario that is currently being developed as part of the NorthStar program at the AstaZero test environment outside Gothenburg. Once the corridors are up and running, the testing can be extended to public roads, enabling vehicles to start at a port, travel along the highway and eventually arrive at a fenced storage facility, Telia said.

The NorthStar innovation program was launched by Telia and Ericsson in February 2023 with an initial focus on the automotive industry and the development of smart and sustainable transport solutions.

NorthStar’s 5G network utilizes Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core, and connects to Telia’s existing public 5G network, which currently reaches 75% of the population.

Under this program, customers are able to build their own networks at their own locations, for example test sites and R&D facilities and connect them to the NorthStar network.