In Norway, the most important fixed line providers are: Telenor, BanaTele, TDCSong (TDC), Ventelo and Hafslund Telekom.
Telenor Telecom Solutions AS and its subsidiaries are known as Fixed Norway, and they give customers the possibility of registering online for fixed-line services. You should bear in mind that it may take up to 3 months before your line is connected, therefore you should register at the earliest possible opportunity.
Phone calls between fixed lines in Norway are relatively cheap, and there are special off-peak rates during evenings and night time. However, international calls from fixed lines are expensive and you should consider alternative options when calling international numbers (e.g. International calling cards). Fixed line telephone bills are paid every three months.
Norwegian law states that every property in Norway must have a phone cable installed. This can be either an analogue line or an ISDN line. It is called fasttelefoni (fixed telephone).
You can register for a fixed land line service through Telenor. If you are applying by post or fax, all you need to provide is your date of birth. If you wish to register via the internet, you will require a Norwegian social security number.
For Telenor customer services and information, dial 05000 – however the recorded language is solely Norwegian. If you require English speaking assistance, press the hash key (#) and your call will be forwarded to an English speaker.
You can bring any telephone handset from anywhere in the world, and use it in Norway, but you may have to change the cable and phone jack to one that complies with the Norwegian kind.
Generally speaking, the amount of phone line options in Norway is confusing. You can get phone services with ADSL, optic fibre cables and also phone services based on VoIP (Voice over IP) only.
In reality, the best thing to do is to work out what you require then speak directly with different providers in order to subscribe to the best deal available. Bear in mind that if you choose to subscribe to a service which provides an optic fibre phone line and a modem for internet services, you will not be able to use either in the event of a power cut.