The development of globalization, the spread of digital technologies, urbanization are all connected
to or influenced by
the connected society.
The availability of broadband opens up opportunities for smart solutions that provide people with a
more comfortable
daily life, access to social services, full participation in public life, and, in the case of
business, - increases
efficiency, productivity and development, - which is ultimately reflected in increased employment
and economic growth.
That's why, adapting to the digital age, the Swedish government has developed a national broadband
plan to ensure that
the country is fully connected to the Internet and that mobile and high-speed broadband connections
are available to
both individuals and businesses. According to the plan, all of Sweden should have high-speed
broadband by 2025 (A
Completely Connected Sweden by 2025 – a Broadband Strategy, www.government.se).
In accordance with the government's vision of a fully connected Sweden, the broadband infrastructure
must match the
interests of users. This means that, in practice, neither fixed nor wireless broadband should limit
the use, supply or
development of digital services, in order for digitalization to realize its full potential.
The Swedish government has identified three strategic directions for achieving its broadband policy
goals, which are
shown in Figure 1 (A Completely Connected Sweden by 2025 - a Broadband Strategy, www.government.se).
Figure 1 - Strategic Directions for Achieving Broadband Policy Goals in Sweden
The key goals of the strategy are the following:
- By 2020, 95% of all households and businesses should have access to broadband;
- By 2023, all Sweden should have access to reliable, high-quality mobile services;
- By 2025, all Sweden should have high-speed broadband.
The main conditions for achieving these goals are the continued acceleration of expansion and
interoperability between
different technologies. The broadband strategy emphasizes the need for people to have access to the
Internet, no matter
where they live. Sweden aims to become a leader in the adoption of 5G. The government's ambitions
for nationwide
broadband coverage are very high, and a strong broadband policy and both public and private efforts
are needed to
realize the ambitious plans.
Regarding efforts at the governmental level, in addition to the developed broadband strategy,
another manifestation of
activity in this direction is the Nordic-Baltic cooperation on 5G, carried out by the Nordic Council
of Ministers. The
Nordic Prime Ministers jointly signed a declaration on 5G in May 2018 with the single goal of being
the world's first
integrated region. To realize this goal, Nordic and Baltic ministers prepared a joint action plan to
implement 5G
technology as soon as possible.