Telia and Finland’s Kelluu, the operator of the world’s largest airship fleet, have demonstrated how 5G connectivity for mission-critical applications can be rapidly deployed from above in locations without mobile network coverage.

At a recent defense technology event in Lapland, the partners attached a Nokia Kolibri small-cell base station to one of Kelluu’s autonomous, hydrogen-powered airships. An airborne link to Telia’s core network was then established via satellite, supporting secure 5G connections for users on the ground by means of the 3.5 GHz frequency.

Janne Hietala, Kelluu CEO: “The base station rises into the air, covers an area and remains in place without the requirement for fixed infrastructure, even in Arctic conditions. Mountains and forests are no longer obstacles to coverage. And when the need for 5G shifts, the base station moves too.”

As a further benefit, connectivity can be accessed using conventional handsets, rather than being limited to satellite-compatible devices. It can also support drones, autonomous vehicles and sensors.

During 2025, Telia partnered with Nokia and the Finnish Defense Forces to conduct the world’s first standalone 5G slice handover between multiple countries in a live network, and trialed 5G remote operation of armored vehicles as part of Finland’s eALLIANCE program.