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Norway’s mobile market is currently dominated by two dominant companies – Telenor and Telia (who together own numerous other network providers). However, these aren’t your only options – especially if you’re looking to save some dough on your next cellular bill.
No-Commitment Prepaid Plans
If you’re traveling to Norway and would like to stay connected with family and friends back home, prepaid SIM plans offer affordable data rates with top-of-the-line networks – making them perfect for short vacations or longer journeys alike. It can be challenging finding an appropriate plan, so make sure to take your needs and budget into consideration before selecting one.
Arriving in Norway can be straightforward, yet acquiring a prepaid SIM card can be more complex. While most pay-as-you-go services accept Norwegian credit cards for top up, which you can learn more about by clicking here, others don’t accept them. Because of this, it is wise to research how and where your local service provides the vouchers to top-up cards if this is difficult for you. Convenience stores sell top-up vouchers while Telia2 outlets also sell them.
Purchase of a prepaid SIM card in Norway can be relatively straightforward, yet you should read all the fine print carefully prior to making a decision. Some providers charge hidden charges such as call and text message rates while others have prohibitively expensive international calling rates.
Norway is renowned for its prepaid plans, which allow tourists and business travelers to make calls at reduced international call rates compared to local rates. Some prepaid plans even feature services that let users stream music without using data, like Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal or Deezer; more information regarding these prepaid plans can be found by visiting Telia’s website. It’s important to factor in what apps you’ll be using on a regular basis before making a final decision on a plan.
Telenor offers several data packages beyond its basic plans to meet every travel itinerary and add-on data bundles as needed. Discounts may also apply if more data than what’s included is required – something you should do with every major carrier (just in case).
Telenor, Mycall or Lycamobile offer prepaid cards at convenience and grocery stores as well. While prices can differ significantly between locations or resellers, most Norwegian SIM cards are affordable with high-speed data service available at reasonable rates. They work with traditional European frequencies for use on smartphones compatible with this frequency band – however a lower-end or mid-range smartphone may not connect properly to these networks.
Prepaid plans in Norway offer an effective means of staying connected while traveling abroad. You can purchase a Norwegian SIM card at electronics stores, mall kiosks or airports throughout Norway as well as in Bergen’s main city Bergen itself. Once you’ve acquired one you can top up your balance by texting “SALDO” to 2595; to check your balance directly call 2258.
High-Gigabyte Plans
Accessing the internet on your mobile device in Norway is important, whether hiking through the mountains or sailing across its fjords. There are several options available to visitors including SIM cards, eSIMs, portable WiFi hotspots and public WiFi hotspots (https://norway.nordicvisitor.com/travel-guide/information/internet-access/); however public WiFi may expose personal information to hackers; therefore it’s wiser to purchase a prepaid SIM card from Holafly or Telia before traveling – these companies can usually be found at most airports and shops around town.
Telenor is Norway’s premier pay-as-you-go operator, offering several different prepaid data plans with unlimited calls and texts within the country as well as free roaming in EU/EEA/UK territories up to 65 GB each month. Lyca Mobile also provides several different prepaid plans including Combo Plans and Data Bundles – making Norway an attractive location.
When purchasing a prepaid SIM card in Norway, it’s essential to take both your data needs and budget into consideration when selecting an eSIM card. Some offer unlimited data for an agreed-upon period while others have gigabyte caps with expiration dates attached. Check network speeds as this could significantly impact how much data can be utilized over time.
Good Coverage & More
Norway has among the highest mobile subscription costs among Scandinavian countries, but there are ways you can save on monthly bills. One way is through selecting a no-commitment plan from one of Norway’s smaller carriers (MVNO).
Paying for mobile subscriptions in Norway may not be difficult, but there are certain considerations you should keep in mind when doing so. First and foremost is understanding how the phone works, what services it provides and your desired budget for plans; contracts usually make more financial sense for long-term residents of Norway as they provide monthly bills along with many additional perks.
Telia, Telenor and Ice are the dominant players in Norway’s telecom market; however, there are also a handful of smaller prepaid companies known as Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) offering competitive rates. These MVNOs operate on one of four big networks in Norway; some even cover rural areas not serviced by major providers; additionally some also offer plans with higher gigabyte limits that may better meet consumer needs when traveling without Wi-Fi connectivity.
Most European prepaid SIM cards will work in Norway, though you may need to activate roaming on your home phone provider’s website. Some North American providers also allow customers to purchase cards with Europe coverage in stores or international airports; alternatively you may buy local prepaid SIMs in Oslo through Telia or Telenor stores, convenience stores and other outlets.
These carriers use one of the big four networks but resells services directly to no-commitment subscribers at significant savings per month. MVNOs are also well known for offering strong network coverage – most have received an 8.5+ score from Root Metrics testing, meaning most users on these plans experience strong signals near home while no dead spots when out and about.
Purchase of a prepaid SIM in Norway is easy, and a variety of different options can be found at most airports, convenience stores and other locations. Language options for the cards may also prove useful when traveling through Norway without speaking much Norwegian themselves. Standard packages usually provide 250MB of data with 10kr per day charged per call – for longer stays there may also be special packages that offer more features and data bundles that fit your needs better.
If your European phone uses traditional EU frequencies, then it should work fine in Norway without issue. Conversely, phones purchased in America use American frequencies and may not be compatible with Norwegian networks.
Ensure your international phone works in Norway by purchasing a prepaid SIM card that provides EU roaming capabilities from one of your providers’ websites, or visiting their EU roaming page. Before making your final choice, it is a good idea to investigate available options and prices as well as coverage offered by different carriers by downloading a cellular coverage map app from your device’s app store.
These apps are easy to install, displaying which networks provide reliable coverage throughout your area. Verizon is represented in red while T-Mobile features pink outline while AT&T shows up as blue icon on their cellular coverage map. Furthermore, yellow represents slower connections while green indicates faster ones allowing you to quickly identify which network has reliable high-speed connections in your neighborhood.
