Swedish Watchdog To Ensure Geographic Spread Of Broadband Funding

The Swedish government has approved two changes to communications regulator PTS’ brief for 2020. One concerns the need for equal geographic spread of broadband funding, and the other concerns an exemption for the principle of localization. The watchdog must make a report on the matter by March 31, 2020.

Under the localisation principle, borough councils generally may not run broadband operations outside their own municipal boundaries. 

Digitisation minister Anders Ygeman said the government emphasised that broadband funding must be well distributed nationwide. He added that an exemption from localization would support broadband expansion by making municipal networks better able to extend their infrastructure.

The government stated PTS must deal with funding in such a way as to facilitate access to fast broadband everywhere in Sweden, not least in sparsely populated areas. It should foster good geographic spread, it stated.

PTS must analyze the consequences of an exemption from the principle of localisation, to allow municipal networks to deploy grids near their own, and to operate the expanded network.

Full Content: Telecom Paper

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