Telia Company facts for kids
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| Publicly traded Aktiebolag | |
| Traded as |
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| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Founded | December 2002 |
| Headquarters | Solna, Stockholm, Sweden |
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Area served
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Europe |
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Key people
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| Products |
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| Revenue | SEK 90.827 billion €8.547 bilion (2022) |
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Operating income
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SEK 30.328 billion €2.854 bilion (2022) |
| SEK 11.332 billion €1.066 bilion (2022) |
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| Owner | Government of Sweden (39.5%) |
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Number of employees
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20,800 |
| Subsidiaries |
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Telia Company AB is a big company from Sweden. It provides phone and internet services in many countries. These include Sweden, Finland, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Telia also owns TV channels like TV4 in Sweden and MTV Oy in Finland. They bought these in 2019. The company's main office is in Solna, Sweden. Its shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Stockholm and Helsinki.
Telia has faced challenges related to past business dealings. The company has worked to resolve these issues.
Contents
How Telia Company Started
Telia Company was formed in 2002. It was created when two companies, Telia from Sweden and Sonera from Finland, joined together. This joining is called a merger.
Before this, Telia had tried to merge with Telenor, a company from Norway. That attempt did not work out. Telenor is now Telia's main competitor in the Nordic countries.
In the past, Telia was a government-owned phone company in Sweden. Sonera was also a government-owned company in Finland. It handled long-distance calls. The names Telia and Sonera were used separately until 2017. Then, Sonera changed its name to Telia.
The Swedish government still owns a part of Telia Company. It owns about 39.5% of the company's shares. Other parts are owned by different companies and people around the world.
The Story of Telia
The Swedish company, originally called Royal Telegraph Agency, started in 1853. This was when the first electric telegraph line was set up. It connected Stockholm and Uppsala.
Over time, this agency became very important for telephones. By 1920, it was almost the only phone company in Sweden. In 1953, its name changed to Televerket.
In 1992, Televerket was split into different parts. One part became a government agency that sets rules for phones and internet. Another part became a company that runs radio and TV networks.
On July 1, 1993, the part that handled phones and mobile networks became a company called Telia AB. In 2000, some of Telia's shares were sold on the stock market.
In the 1980s, Televerket was a leader in mobile phones. They used the NMT system. In the 1990s, they started using GSM technology. Other companies like Tele2 also started offering phone services.
In 2000, Telia did not get a license for the new 3G mobile networks. But they worked with Tele2 to build a 3G network together. In 2018, Telia and Ericsson launched Sweden's first 5G network.
The Story of Sonera
The Finnish company, Sonera, started in 1917. It was first called the Finnish Telegraph Agency. In 1927, it joined with the Finnish Post Office. This new agency managed all long-distance and international calls.
In 1994, other companies were allowed to offer phone services in Finland. The Post and Telegraph Agency then split into two companies. One was the Finnish Post, and the other was Telecom Finland Oy. Telecom Finland later changed its name to Sonera in 1998.
After Telia and Sonera Joined Forces
After Telia and Sonera merged, the Swedish government owned 46% of the new company. Over time, the government sold some of its shares.
In 2008, TeliaSonera announced plans to save money. This included reducing the number of employees. Another big company, France Télécom, offered to buy TeliaSonera. But TeliaSonera's board said no.
On April 12, 2016, the company changed its name to Telia Company. They dropped "Sonera" from the name. This was part of an effort to improve the company's image.
In 2018, Telia Company announced it would buy Bonnier Broadcasting Group. This deal was completed in 2019. It meant Telia now owned TV4 in Sweden, MTV Oy in Finland, and C More Entertainment.
In 2019, new leaders were chosen for Telia Company. Lars-Johan Jarnheimer became the chairman of the board. Allison Kirkby became the new president and CEO in 2020.
In 2020, Telia Company agreed to sell its internet backbone unit, Telia Carrier. This sale was completed in 2021.
Where Telia Operates Today
Telia Company is the biggest phone, internet, and mobile operator in the Nordic and Baltic countries. They also run TV channels like TV4 in Sweden and MTV in Finland.
Telia is the leading mobile phone company in Sweden, Estonia, and Lithuania. They are the second largest in Finland and Norway.
Telia in Estonia
Telia Company owns all of Eesti Telekom. Eesti Telekom is the biggest telecommunications company in Estonia. In 2016, Eesti Telekom changed its name to Telia Eesti.
Telia in Finland
Telia Finland is the second largest mobile operator in Finland. It also provides landline phone and internet services. Before 2017, it was known as Sonera and Tele Finland.
In 1999, Sonera was the first mobile company to offer mobile internet services. Telia Finland and another company, DNA Oyj, share a 4G LTE network in some parts of Finland.
Telia in Latvia
Telia Company owns part of LMT. It also owns part of Tet, which also owns part of LMT. Telia also fully owns Telia Latvija. This company provides business cable and data center services.
Telia in Lithuania
Telia Company owns most of Telia Lietuva. This is the largest landline phone company in Lithuania. Telia Lietuva recently bought Omnitel, a big mobile network operator.
In 2015, TeliaSonera announced that Teo and Omnitel would merge. On February 1, 2017, Omnitel and Teo merged under the name "Telia Lietuva".
Telia in Norway
Telia first started in Norway in 1998. They offered fixed phone and internet services. In 2000, Telia bought NetCom, a mobile network operator. In 2006, they bought Chess Communication.
On March 1, 2016, NetCom changed its name to Telia Norge. In 2018, Telia bought Get AS and TDC Norway.
Telia in Sweden
In Sweden, Telia Company uses the brands Telia, Halebop, and Fello for customers. For businesses, they use Skanova Access and Cygate. Telia Sverige is the biggest mobile phone company in Sweden. Its main competitors are Tele2, Telenor, and 3.
Past Operations
Telia Company has sold its operations in several countries over the years. These include:
- Afghanistan: Telia sold its share in the Roshan cellphone network in 2020.
- Azerbaijan: Telia sold its stake in Azercell in 2018.
- Cambodia: Telia left Cambodia in 2010.
- Denmark: Telia sold its operations and network assets in Denmark in 2024.
- Georgia: Telia sold its share in Geocell in 2018.
- Sri Lanka: Telia sold its company SUNTEL Ltd. in 2010.
- Kazakhstan: Telia sold Kcell in 2018.
- Moldova: Telia sold Moldcell in 2020.
- Nepal: Telia sold its share in Ncell in 2015.
- Russia: Telia sold its stake in MegaFon in 2017.
- Spain: Telia sold Yoigo in 2016.
- Tajikistan: Telia sold Tcell in 2017.
- Turkey: Telia sold its stake in Turkcell Holding in 2020.
- Uzbekistan: Telia sold its Uzbek subsidiary, Ucell. The company has worked to resolve past issues related to its business dealings in Uzbekistan.
How the Telia Brand Changed
When Telia and Sonera merged in 2002, they used a simple text logo. In 2011, TeliaSonera introduced a new purple "pebble" logo. This logo was used for the company and its brands.
In 2016, TeliaSonera changed its name to Telia Company. They also updated the "pebble" logo. This new look is now used by all Telia brand companies.
See also
In Spanish: Telia Company para niños
- List of Finnish companies
- List of Swedish companies
- Telia Carrier
