"I’ve built high-tech networks all over the world”

Sara Kebert's passion is developing society's infrastructure. She's been doing this ever since the first GSM network was built, right up to today's 5G network. Sara has been involved in building five generations of mobile networks, all over the world. She has often been the only woman in a male-dominated industry. 

– For many years, I was a lone woman working on network development, and I've always thrived in my role, with my fantastic colleagues. Today, there are more women, but the industry is still male-dominated, with fewer younger engineers. The people I worked with 25 years ago are still around today, like me, says Sara Kebert, today a network expert at Telenor. 

– I'm convinced that a more equal gender distribution and greater breadth give an even more creative working environment.

Sara began to work in the telecom industry when she was still in upper secondary school. She has been involved since the days when we literally drew the network on maps, right up to today's significantly more digitalised working methods.

– When I started, we had plastic hexagons that we laid out on a map to calculate and draw in how the network was to be built. The 1990s brought digital maps, with prediction tools we could use to simulate and visualise the drawings. In today's systems, we can read in network data and simulate and manage traffic and functionality, so I've been involved in the enormous technical leap forward, Sara explains.

For many years, Sara has travelled the world to design and build networks. The Nordic region, southern Europe, and all the way to China. Her case is always packed, ready for travel across the world at short notice. She has not only had the opportunity to travel all over the world, but also to contribute to developing infrastructure in many countries.

– I've been able to work with experts from every corner of the world, and to build up something really important. The fact that a person with impaired hearing can sit on a train and make a video call is possible thanks to the networks we build, and the ongoing technical development. I'm so happy to have been involved and to have contributed to this.

Today, Sara is involved in rolling out Telenor's 5G network in Sweden. And we will hear her name when the future network generations are built, in every corner of the world.