Telenor Norway CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY 2012 Page 83

Ridderrennet
ridderrennet is one of the world's biggest sports
events for the disabled. It is held in April every year
at Beitostølen winter resort and has gradually grown
into a whole week of sporting activities. The Telenor
Open Mind programme, which you can read more
about in the responsibility and diversity chapter in
this report, has had its own stand at Ridderrennet
for five years. The presence of the Open Mind team
is intended both to show that Telenor is about more
than mobile phones and technology and to recruit
participants for the Open Mind programme. In 2011
and 2012 Telenor also sponsored Ridderrennet. In
2013 Ridderrennet is celebrating its 50

anniversary

and Telenor Open Mind will again have a visible
presence, both as sponsor and through participants
in the sports event.

The work in clubs and at the

grass roots is the most important

thing which is done to develop

talent. It's great that the

Norwegian Skiing Federation and

Telenor are helping to stimulate

activities in clubs through

Karusellen. I well remember

from when I was growing up

how important it was to have an

environment which looks after

you and develops you. The fact

that I succeeded is strongly linked

to having people who backed me

up all the way. We who now set an

example know that the breadth

which a scheme like this provides

is the best guarantee of growth

for the next generation.

Aksel Lund Svindal

alpine skier

Skarverennet
Telenor is one of the main sponsors of
skarverennet, which is a cross-country race
starting at Finse or Haugastøl and finishing at
Ustaoset. The race which begins at Finse is the
longest, stretching over 37 km. The race runs
through the Hallingskarvet National Park, where
there is usually no mobile coverage. However, since
the 1990s Telenor Norway has set up temporary
mobile coverage in association with Skarverennet.
We do this by setting up repeaters which capture
signals from mobile masts far away. The repeaters
are positioned at strategic points quite far from
each other and are dependent on power from
diesel-powered generators. In practice this means
that our employees have to drive around in the
terrain to fill them up with fuel many times in the
course of the race day, from five in the morning
until 10 at night.

Birkebeineren
Birkebeineren by ski, bike or in running shoes.
For several years Telenor has ensured that there
is vital mobile coverage during all of the three
Birkebeineren competitions.

The classic birkebeinerrennet is a skiing race which
was organized for the 75

time in 2012. The 54 km-

long track runs from Rena to the Birkebeineren
skiing stadium at Lillehammer and the competitors
compete in the classic style. There may be up to
17,000 participants at the starting line. In recent
years the traditional skiing race has had two
offshoots in the summer: birkebeinerløpet for
those who prefer running and birkebeinerrittet for
mountain bikers.

Good mobile coverage is important, both for the
opportunity to share experiences and for the
participants to be able to report any problems
they may encounter underway. The organisers also
communicate via the mobile network, including
when timing the participants.

In the course of 2013 Telenor Norway will ensure
that there is 3G coverage along the whole of the
Birkebeiner route.