Norway’s telecommunications firms were sharpening security on Thursday after reports of unidentified drones seen flying around mobile phone masts in several areas around the country. The security division for the national communications authority, Nkom, alerted police.
Mobile phone and broadband firms were being asked to be on guard regarding both drones and “suspicious activity” around their installations. Svein Scheie of Nkom said observations of both drones and people milling around mobile phone masts and electronic communications facilities came from areas of both Southern Norway and Trøndelag.
As many as 10 separate drone observations were made during daylight of workers on assignment at various installations. The drones, Scheie said, “can provide a means of gathering information about how our communications infrastructure looks.” Sabotage to a mast can make it impossible to place calls within the mast’s coverage area.
State-owned Telenor, meanwhile, also reported trouble with its mobile network Thursday afternoon but Scheie said it was not connected to any of the drone observations.
NewsinEnglish.no staff
