Letter to ministers Tomas Eneroth and Peter Eriksson requesting a meeting regarding the Swedish Transport Administration's processing times

Request for a meeting due to the Swedish Transport Administration hindering the digitalization of Sweden

The Swedish Transport Administration's long processing times for permits to lay cables in road and railway areas have been a hindrance to broadband construction operators for several years. The industry has drawn the authority's attention to the problem and its consequences in various ways on several occasions. Despite the fact that the Swedish Transport Administration has repeatedly promised measures in recent years to shorten processing times, the fact is that these are only getting longer and longer.

In the fall of 2016, the situation became acute for companies that are prevented from building broadband to their customers while waiting for permission from the Swedish Transport Administration. Since then, the situation has deteriorated further. There are currently 3000 cases in the queue and processing times are approaching 6 months. Several hundred applications submitted in June this year are still waiting for feedback. The Swedish Transport Administration does not give any information on when broadband builders can expect a response to their permit applications. The long processing times and lack of transparency in the process cause unnecessary costs for broadband builders, customers do not receive promised deliveries and delays in projects consume resources for broadband deployment. Operators who have received government support for broadband expansion risk being liable for repayment when permits are not processed in time by the Swedish Transport Administration.

Paradoxically, the government's own authority is currently the biggest bottleneck in the broadband expansion called for by the government.

In a broader perspective, the uncertainty that follows from the fact that deployment cannot take place means that digital infrastructure investments that could have been located in Sweden are instead located in our neighboring countries where deployment can take place more smoothly.

In order to have the opportunity to explain the negative consequences of the Swedish Transport Administration's long processing times, not least for the government's priority broadband expansion and digitization of Sweden, and above all to bring about a solution to the problem, we hereby request a meeting with the ministers.

We are at the disposal of the ministers when they can find the time, but would like to underline again the seriousness and the need for urgent action to resolve the situation.

David Mothander, Director of the IT&Telecom Association
Henrik Ringmar, CEO IP-Only
Ove Alm, CEO Skanova