Sweden has one of the most advanced telecommunications infrastructures in the world, most likely as a result of being one of the first countries to deregulate the industry with the 1993 Telecommunications Act. This act was revised in 1997 and there is ongoing legislation being passed to keep Sweden's laws up to date with the advanced technology. Please refer to the National ICT Policies page for more information on legislation.

There are conflicting reports on the exact statistics that represent fixed telephony and wireless within Sweden. However, although the numbers differ slightly from various sources, it is clear that Sweden has one of the highest rates of technology penetration in the world.

Fixed Telephony

The high level of competition in the telecommunications market has been a major factor in the advanced infrastructure and technology. TeliaSonera (formerly the Swedish Telia and Finnish Sonera) is the largest provider of telephony in Sweden. There are approximately 40 operators competing for market share with TeliaSonera. (5)

Source: Facts about Information and Communications Technology in Sweden 2003 (6)

Wireless

The Swedish wireless industry is extremely strong in terms of services and product development. This is reflected in the high percentages of mobile phone access across the country. Sweden has been one of the major players in developing 3G wireless technology. In December 2000, licenses to build 3G networks were awarded to the original four consortia with requirements to finish the rollout by the end of 2003. Almost all participants requested extensions, which were subsequently denied and resulted in many companies withdrawing from the Swedish market. The goal of having a universal mobile telecommunications service (UMTS) has not been met by the desired date of year end 2003.(5)

Source: Facts about Information and Communications Technology in Sweden 2003 (6)

Pricing

There is a rather large discrepancy in the prices of local phone calls. These prices depend on the time during which the call is placed. The cheapest national call that can be made is during office hours on a weekday and is usually around SEK 0.13 per minute, and the high end can be around SEK 3.76. In contrast, when calls are not placed during this timeframe, rates can be as low as SEK 0.9 to SEK 2.60. There are also opening charges that are made if the call is successfully connected which can range from nothing to SEK 0.65 per call. Please see the table below for more detail on pricing for mobile phones.

Source: Facts about Information and Communications Technology in Sweden 2003 (PTS (2002b)) (6)

Service Providers & Producers

The Swedish provider Telia and Finland 's Sonera merged in 2002 to become TeliaSonera. They are currently Sweden 's largest telephony operator. However, as consumers are becoming more aware that they have choices in this market, the number of subscribers choosing other operators increased throughout 2002.

Source: Facts about Information and Communications Technology in Sweden 2003(6)

Media

Along with telecommunications, television and radio were also deregulated in 1993. In contrast to the US , Sweden has very few television channels available, however along with radio stations, the numbers continue to increase.

• TV4 is the only television station in Sweden with commercials. This station operates with a license from the state that expires in 2005.
• SVT1 & SVT2 are two public service channels that are publicly funded and neither allow commercials.
• TV3, Kanal 5 (Channel 5), ZTV, TV6, and TV8 are the only Swedish satellite channels.
• In 1990, 34% of the population had access to cable
• In 2000, 43% of the population had access to cable
• In 2000, 22% of the population had access to satellite

Source: The Economist Intelligence Unit: Country Profile (restricted access to this report) (5)