• KNL won a €15 million deal to supply encrypted, portable HF radios to Finland and Sweden under a Nordic defence scheme.
• NATO nations are increasingly piloting KNL’s solutions, underscoring the rising demand for resilient battlefield communications amid regional security concerns.
What happened：KNL secures €15m Nordic contract
Telenor’s Finnish unit, KNL, has clinched a significant €15 million contract to supply encrypted, portable high-frequency (HF) military radios to the Finnish and Swedish armed forces. These man-pack radios, powered by KNL’s proprietary software, enable long-distance voice and data communication without reliance on satellites such as GPS or commercial networks like Starlink. The deal is part of the NORDEFCO (Nordic Defence Cooperation) framework and is expected to be the first of many such orders, with deliveries scheduled by the end of 2025 . KNL’s CEO, Toni Lindén, described this contract as “just the opening contract,” noting pilot tests are already underway with Norway and other NATO countries.
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Why it’s important
NATO allies have intensified the effort to make certain their military units may maintain durable and independent lines of communication even in highly contested circumstances particularly given the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent problems in the European security environment. Despite their effectiveness, traditional satellite or GPS-based systems are susceptible to cyber disruption, jamming, or complete demise in hostile environments. As consequence, there currently is an a great need for technologies separate from of commercial mobile networks and existing satellite constellations.
KNL’s portable high-frequency radios directly address this gap. By enabling secure, encrypted voice and data transfer across long distances without satellite infrastructure, they provide armed forces with a dependable communication channel in situations where critical infrastructure may be degraded or absent altogether. For operations in remote, infrastructure-sparse regions, as well as in electronic warfare environments, such technology offers a crucial advantage in maintaining operational effectiveness.The successful acquisition of this contract validates Telenor’s strategic shift into defence technology and positions KNL as a leading Nordic innovator in military communications. It potentially opens doors to further contracts across NATO, as demand for such systems continues to grow.
