Digital connectivity in Sweden

Summary of digital connectivity development in Sweden

In its digital connectivity strategy, the Swedish government has identified three strategic areas in order to meet the goals set in the strategy: 

1. Roles and rules on the digital connectivity market
2. Cost-efficient expansion of the digital connectivity infrastructure
3. Services for everyone

According to the digital connectivity strategy, called A Completely Connected Sweden by 2025, the focal point has to be people’s need for digital connectivity access, whether they live in densely populated areas, scarcely populated areas and rural areas, or in areas situated in between. Sweden is committed to be at the forefront of the development of 5G. One manifestation of this is the Nordic-Baltic cooperation on 5G, undertaken within the frame of the Nordic Council of Ministers. In May 2018, the Nordic prime ministers signed a declaration on 5G, with the common vision of being the first and foremost-integrated region in the world. In order to achieve this goal a common action plan for early adoption of 5G technology has been set up by the Nordic-Baltic ministers of digitalisation.

National digital connectivity strategy and policy

Responsible authorities

• The Ministry of Climate and Enterprise (Klimat- och näringslivs­departementet) is responsible for digitalisation and digital connectivity policy.
• The Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) is the authority that monitors and regulates the electronic communications and post sectors. The vision of the authority is that everyone in Sweden should have access to good telephony, digital connectivity and postal services.
• The Bredbandsforum was appointed by the Government in 2010 and is responsible for facilitating cooperation between concerned actors in order to promote an effective expansion of digital connectivity infrastructure. The forum also has the mission to create an arena for government, companies, authorities and other organisations to collectively identify obstacles for the deployment and to find solutions facilitating digital connectivity access in the entire country.

Main aims for digital connectivity development

The government’s vision for a completely connected Sweden is that the digital connectivity infrastructure should correspond to the user’s need for connectivity. In the broadband strategy adopted in December 2016, the Swedish government identified the need for goals in two areas: access to high-speed digital connectivity in all of Sweden and access to reliable and high quality mobile services. The objective of the strategy is that 95% of all households and businesses should have access to digital connectivity at a minimum capacity of 100 Mbps by 2020. The strategy goes beyond 2020 and states that by 2025 all of Sweden should have access to high-speed digital connectivity. That implies that 98% of all households and businesses should have access to digital connectivity at a minimum capacity of 1 Gbps. The remaining 1.9% should have access to connections at a minimum capacity of 100 Mbps and 0.1% at a minimum capacity of 30 Mbps. The strategy also has a goal for mobile coverage: all of Sweden should have access to reliable and high-quality mobile services no later than the year 2023.

Main measures for digital connectivity development

• Regarding digital connectivity mapping, a web service Ledningskollen has been developed and steered by the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) with the aim of sharing information on infrastructure owners (i.e. pipelines and other infrastructure). The platform has been developed and is publicly accessible on a voluntary basis in order to prevent damage during excavation and enhance coordination in civil work. In addition to the Ledningskollen, PTS has a national mapping tool called the Broadband Map (Bredbandskartan), which shows the availability of digital connectivity, network owners and ISPs near a specific location throughout Sweden.
• Swedish digital connectivity deployment is primarily market-driven, but in areas where there are no commercial incentives to invest, there is complementary public funding available. In Sweden, municipalities play an important role in network deployment by way of controlling and determining conditions for access for operators to municipal land.

National and regional digital connectivity financial instruments

• State aid for digital connectivity deployment in areas where there are no commercial investments in next generation access networks is available through the Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and in the northern part of Sweden via the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
• RRF: Sweden’s Recovery and Resilience plan allocates 21% (EUR 674 million) of the funding to digital, most of it to support the deployment of VHCNs in rural areas.
• Financed through the Recovery and Resilience Fund, the government intends to invest SEK 1.4 billion in 2021, SEK 500 million in 2022 and thereafter SEK 100 million annually during 2023-2025 to expand the digital connectivity throughout the country and achieve the national digital connectivity targets. The Swedish Post and Telecom Agency (PTS) is the managing authority for this support scheme. During the current program period for the rural development program (2014–2020), the government has also allocated approximately SEK 4.45 billion in digital connectivity support for expansion in areas where it is not commercially profitable to expand.
• The government has also made investments of SEK 1.2 billion within the regional fund for the expansion of larger local interconnection digital connectivity networks in the three northern regional fund programs.

Data on digital connectivity development and technologies in Sweden

For the latest data on digital connectivity coverage, subscriptions and penetrations, coverage of different digital connectivity technologies check the country reports of the Digital Economy & Society Index (DESI).

Spectrum assignments for wireless digital connectivity

For details on harmonised spectrum assignments, please consult the European 5G Observatory report.

National and EU publications and press documents

English

• Broadband Investment Handbook
• Mobile and Fixed Broadband Prices in Europe 2022
• Study on National Broadband Plans in the EU27
• Broadband Connectivity Reports and Analyses

Swedish

• A Completely Connected Sweden by 2025 – a Broadband Strategy
• Broadband infrastructure mapping system (Ledningskollen)
• Broadband service mapping tool (Bredbandskartan)

Contact information

BCO Sweden (national Broadband Competence Office): The Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (Post och telestyrelsen)

Postal address: Box 5398, SE-102 49 Stockholm, Sweden
Visiting address: Valhallavägen 117, SE-115 31 Stockholm, Sweden
Contact via email
Phone: +46 8 678 56 12
Website

Ministry of Climate and Enterprise (Klimat- och näringslivs­departementet)

Address: Mäster Samuelsgatan 70, 111 21 Stockholm, Sweden
Contact via email
Website

Bredbandsforum

Address: Valhallavägen 117, 115 31 Stockholm, Sweden
Contact via email
Phone: +46 8678 55 00
Website