Telenor Maritime Radio

Telenor Martitim Radio

Type	Division
Industry	Maritime telecommunications
Headquarters	Bergen, Norway
Number of locations	8
Area served	Norway
Revenue	160 million kr
Number of employees	100
Parent	Telenor

Telenor Maritim Radio is a division of Telenor which provides maritime telecommunication services along the coast of Norway. It operates the civilian network of marine VHF radio, medium frequency and Navtex transmitters and five coast radio stations: Tjøme Radio, Rogaland Radio, Florø Radio, Bodø Radio and Vardø Radio. The agency also issues licenses for ship radios, including callsigns and Maritime Mobile Service Identities, and issues recreational and commercial radio operator certificates. Telenor Maritim Radio is based in Bergen, has 100 employees and a revenue of NOK 160 million Norwegian krone (NOK).

The Royal Norwegian Navy was the first user of wireless telegraphy in Norway, when they purchased two Slaby–Arco units in 1901. They were installed on Eidsvold and Frithjof and tested the equipment out of the main base, Karljohansvern. Tests the first year failed to reach Færder Lighthouse, but when moved to Jeløya and the equipment recalibrated the following summer, the tests were successful. Additional sets were installed, especially after wireless telegraphy's successfully implementation in the Japanese Navy during the 1904–05 Russo-Japanese War. The Ministry of Defence approved the construction of two radio stations, Tjøme Radio near Tønsberg and Flekkerøy Radio near Kristiansand, in 1905. These and later ship radios were delivered by Telefunken. This was followed up with including telegraphy as part of the training at the Norwegian Naval Academy and the establishment of a workshop at Karljohansvern, allowing the navy to repair and build their own stations. All coastal defense ships and torpedo boats had received wireless stations by 1909.