The Norwegian government has invested billions expanding the country’s Internet accessibility but not all areas are covered yet. Some mountain tourist areas are in despair, because businesses and their customers lack quick and reliable Internet connections.
Among them is Oldedalen, where the popular Briksdal glacier attracts thousands of tourists every year. Most want to send photos and messages on their smart phones, or tap into the local lodge’s wireless network. It’s unreliable at best, reports newspaper Bergens Tidende (BT), and sometimes impossible.
The area lacks enough Internet capacity to handle all the demands in the summer, and the network often crashes. Local business owners feel like they’re living in the “stone age,” according to BT.
Local government officials have funded requests for expansion of fibre cables to all businesses and households but competition rules have held up the project. New meetings between Stryn township and Telenor were due this fall.
newsinenglish.no staff
