New 5G municipalities in DNA’s network are Isojoki, Jämijärvi and Malax

“It is great to be able to welcome the residents of Isojoki, Jämijärvi and Malax to enjoy our 5G services. In Isojoki, the network now covers the village and its surrounding areas within a radius of several kilometres. In Jämijärvi too, the 5G network covers the area of the village as well as the municipality’s central lake and its surroundings on an extensive basis. For the time being, the 5G coverage in Malax extends mainly to the eastern and southeastern parts of the municipality, but there are plans to build a 5G base station near the Malax village during the first half of the year”, says Jarkko Laari, VP, Radio Networks at DNA.

Check the exact state of the mobile network in your area on DNA’s coverage map at www.dna.fi/5G. You can also check the map to see current network improvement projects. The map is updated at a slight delay, so the latest updates may not yet be visible.

DNA’s 5G network already covers 93 per cent of the Finnish population country-wide. The network is constantly being expanded and improved across Finland, and construction is increasingly focusing on areas outside of large cities and urban communities. Instead of increasing population coverage, the aim is to rapidly increase the network’s geographical coverage.

“Construction in sparsely populated areas will prioritise areas of high traffic, i.e. where the current 4G network sees the most use. It is important to ensure that high-quality mobile connections are available wherever people are – including areas that aren’t densely populated”, Laari continues.

4G is also improving with the construction of 5G

DNA has been building a 5G network that can operate mainly either in the lower 700-megahertz or higher 3.5-gigahertz frequency bands around Finland. Lower frequencies offer a fast connection that is more than sufficient for normal Internet use and allow the network to cover a large area with good indoor coverage. The reach of this kind of a 5G network is typically several kilometres from the base station, depending on the terrain. Higher frequencies, on the other hand, offer gigabit-class connection speeds with minimal delay over a smaller coverage area. Lower frequencies are typically used in rural areas and less densely populated urban areas, whereas higher frequencies are used in more densely populated urban areas.

The construction of the 5G network also has the effect of updating the entire mobile network, as it requires old base stations to be replaced with new ones. This means faster 4G speeds and an improved user experience in the areas where the network is being modernised. In many cases, 5G also offers an excellent alternative to fixed-network broadband at home, so the completion of the network boosts the area’s competitiveness and expands consumers’ options for Internet services. A suitable device and subscription are needed to use 5G services.

In eastern and northern Finland, the mobile communication networks used by DNA are designed, implemented and maintained by the Finnish Shared Network, a joint network company established by DNA and Telia in 2014.

Media enquiries:

Jarkko Laari, VP, Radio Networks, DNA Plc, tel. +358 44 044 4949, jarkko.laari@dna.fi

DNA Corporate Communications, tel. +358 (0)44 044 8000, communications@dna.fi

DNA’s 5G coverage map: https://www.dna.fi/5G