We live in a digitalised society, which makes us vulnerable to cyber incidents. If the connection to Stockholm is interrupted as a result of cyber attacks, physical sabotage or any other kind of incident, we would be left without internet. This would have serious consequences for many functions critical to society. Not least the ability of municipalities and authorities to convey important information to the public.
This project, funded by the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth through the European Regional Development Fund, will investigate the feasibility of establishing localised internet island operations over two years to increase the region’s digital preparedness. We want to ensure that critical digital communications can function even if the internet connection is interrupted.
The work within the project is anchored in the municipality of Karlstad’s work on establishing so-called safety points. It is based on a government report (SOU 2024:65 Municipalities and Regions’ Basic Preparedness for Crisis and War) which, among other things, proposes a statutory obligation for municipalities to be able to make electronic communications available at these safety points in the event of a crisis or heightened alert. This is a need that needs to be highlighted in the absence of the internet.
During the project period, we aim to, among other things:
- Establish a test environment
- Making at least one service work in island mode
- Building knowledge about island networks as a function
- Sharing knowledge with other regions
Although the project has a regional focus, the aim is that the project should be transparent and not only benefit Värmland but also be applicable to other regions both in Sweden and in the EU.
The project group consists of Compare, Karlstad Municipality, Karlstad Energy, RISE, Netnod, MittNät, Svenska stadsnätsföreningen, NWT Gruppen, Karlstad University and Coop Värmland. We also have a reference group with other stakeholders who want to contribute to the work.
Watch a programme about the project on SVT:
Unique project in Karlstad – creating its own crisis internet
Do you want to be part of a reference group?
We are keen to include more stakeholders in the reference group, so please get in touch if you want to contribute!
