Who will (we) hold on when the storm hits?

This week, there has been talk in the media (both in DN and in Ekot) about operational reliability due to the fact that PTS intends to come up with stricter regulations requiring network operators to take increased responsibility for avoiding disruptions in Swedish telephony and broadband networks.

The background is a review of reports to the PTS, which shows 47 serious disruptions in Swedish networks for telephony and broadband in 2014, and that many of these interruptions were prolonged and in some cases made it impossible to make emergency calls to 112. Unacceptable, says PTS.

That's good. Of course, the functioning of essential services and the ability of people to make emergency calls even in stormy weather is extremely important. We all agree on that. Operators are constantly working on improvements to operational security because they are keen to meet customer needs. It is simply not possible to compete in the telecoms market today without very high levels of network and service reliability.

Nevertheless, disruptions do occur, for example during storms that cause long power cuts. Should network operators alone take responsibility to avoid this? If so, what is the responsibility of electricity suppliers? Society's? Placing the entire responsibility on network operators ultimately means that it is the consumer who has to foot the bill for the functioning of important societal functions. Is that fair? Are consumers willing to do so?

We do not believe so, and instead advocate a joint coordinated societal responsibility for operational security. Ensuring a society where all, indeed all, people have the possibility to be connected to the network and can call 112 even during storms and other adverse conditions, requires public funding.

Given the high dependency of our current society on a robust and functioning digital infrastructure, a dependency that will definitely only increase, it should be considered an essential infrastructure, just like roads, water and sewage. And as such, its responsibility cannot be placed entirely in the hands of commercial actors. Neither on the network operators, nor others.

PS. Neither we nor the operators have yet had the opportunity to take part in PTS's proposed regulations. Once we have, we will certainly have reason to return. DS.