There must be mobile phone coverage to contact emergency services

Påskefjellet is cute, but also fickle. If you are involved in an accident and have to call emergency services, there should be mobile phone coverage in the area you are in.

“Unfortunately, not everyone is aware of this,” says Inger Volstad, head of a department at the National Communications Commission (NCOM), in a press release.

Advantage with different mobile operators

It's wise to take your phone with you when you go on a trip, but don't forget to tell others where you're going and when you plan to return home. Also remember that you shouldn't make agreements that depend on your phone or smartwatch working or having coverage, Nkum wrote in the letter.

— In the mountains, your cell phone can run out of power faster than you're used to due to the cold. Although cell phone coverage is good in many places we travel, there are still places where there is no coverage. Don't blindly rely on maps and apps on your phone, but bring a compass and paper map in a waterproof bag and learn how to use them, Volstad says.

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But even if your mobile operator doesn't have coverage in the area, it's fortunate that one of Norway's three mobile networks does.

Fortunately, you can call 112 even if only one mobile phone company has coverage where you are located, but we recommend that the family have mobile phone subscriptions from different service providers, and preferably also different types of phones. Then you are safer in the event of an accident, she adds.

Five rules for mobile betting for Easter Mountain

1. Don't blindly trust your mobile phone and keep it warm. Not all places have coverage, and the battery doesn't like the cold.
2. Be aware that not all smartwatches tell emergency services your location as accurately as a smartphone does.
3. Remember, you can call the emergency number 112 even if you lack mobile phone coverage from your mobile phone company, lack or have a damaged SIM card, or have no money in the cash card. This still assumes there is cell phone coverage from at least one carrier where you are located.
4. 'Dumb' phones will not be able to show emergency services your exact location if you call the emergency number.
5. Are you going on a longer trip? Bring a satellite phone, GPS units, an avalanche transceiver, and other appropriate equipment.

Remember to cover your mobile phone on Easter! Photo: Anders Martinsen/Nkom