Norwegian mobile carrier Ice has switched on its 5G Standalone (5G SA) service.

The telco announced the upgrade to its 5G network this week, dubbing the technology "Pure 5G."

The carrier outlined the potential of 5G SA, focusing heavily on network slicing.

Ice revealed it has worked with Norway's Armed Forces and the country's ambulance service to test the technology.

Network slicing allows telecom operators to create separate and isolated networks for different use cases, while the slice can be configured differently. This method is underpinned by 5G Standalone.

Ice noted that a military network disk is now being offered to Forsvarsmateriel's Mime program for combat-related ICT, which will be able to use it for security-critical communication.

"For critical services with a need for increased security, this involves a significant technological change," said Ice's primary contact for the Norwegian Armed Forces, Torbjørn Nilsen.

"The way traditional voice works in today's mobile market is that the signal is sent from where the user is - to a switchboard in Oslo and then back again. When we now move from traditional mobile technology to an IP-based service delivery, we achieve a very low delay time because the data processing is distributed throughout the country. This is crucial for time-critical functions."

The telco said it has worked with Nokia, Mavenir, and Lyse to deliver the 5G SA network.

Mavenir partnered with Ice last year for its 4G and 5G network, while Nokia signed a 5G deal with Ice in 2022.

It stated that Mavenir is responsible for delivering the new mobile core network, while Nokia provides its radio network, and Ice uses Lyse's nationwide fiber network.