Kjernenettet

Kjernenettet, or the core network, denotes the central backbone of a national telecommunications or data network. It connects regional access networks, mobile and fixed, and provides the high-capacity transport and interconnection required for national digital services. The term is used in planning, policy, and technical discussions to distinguish the core from edge networks that connect end users and local sites.

Architecture typically includes high-capacity optical transport links, core routers, data centers, and interconnection points (peering hubs) that aggregate traffic from regional networks. Redundancy and diversity are fundamental, with multiple paths and geographically separated routes to minimize single points of failure.

Common technologies and protocols in Kjernenettet include IP/MPLS or equivalent scalable routing, segment routing or MPLS-TE for traffic engineering, EVPN for data plane virtualization, border gateway protocol (BGP) for inter-domain routing, and robust encryption and DDoS protection for security.

Governance and operation may be undertaken by government bodies, a dedicated national backbone operator, or a neutral consortium that provides open access to licensed operators. Policies typically emphasize reliability, capacity growth, price transparency, and security, with service level agreements and regulatory oversight.

Security and resilience are central concerns, with measures such as physical and cyber-security, diversified routing, disaster recovery sites, incident response, and continuity planning to safeguard essential services, financial systems, and public administration.

Because Kjernenettet refers to the core, it typically operates with a high level of abstraction from the final-mile access networks, enabling scalable service delivery across the country.