Swedish IT Minister Torstensson

Today Håkan Ogelid writes in Computer Sweden that he feel sorry for the Swedish IT Minister, and points out a number of issues. For example that she has been weak already from day one. She does not have a TV, has never really talked about IT, and got the lowest grades of all speakers from Internetdagarna fall of 2008.

He also points out she failed to argue that IT is part of the critical infrastructure in a country. She managed to get money for roads, trains etc, but not IT infrastructure. Håkan point out she argued that IT policy is the same as regional policy, and I agree with him that that is how the minister is wording things – unfortunately. Of course one can not spend the suggested 3.5 billion SEK on infrastructure for some 134k households. But it does not stop there. An insane amount of money is spent on the last 30-something households that does not have fixed telephony.

If one read the investigation that suggest the 3.5 billion SEK for IT Infrastructure you will though see that it is not at all regional politics. The money is needed as the first real step from being dependent on copper and DSL to get efficient connections using fiber, copper or radio to households. More specifically, to move the point where the connection from the household connects to the ISP network from the phone station to the electricity box. From being 3 km from the households to below 500 meters.

This is something that must happen, and if 30 households is without copper and fixed telephony today, it will be 30.000 two years from now. This is definitely not regional politics. The problem is though that, as Håkan says, the minister have stated that. Too many times, and then there will be exactly zero money to IT Infrastructure.

What we do need in Sweden are two things:

• Coordination on how to handle passive infrastructure and transmission. Today, too many people talk about what should be done. Infrastructure that could be used is teared down due to micro management of budgets, when noone is responsible for the overall coordination. Similar for legislation btw…- A clear separation between IT Policy and Regional Policy. Let for example the Cities in Sweden coordinate the management of passive infrastructure within the area where enough people live. In a way similar to the way they coordinate city provided water and suer systems. If you live within that area, you must connect, if you live outside, you must take care of things yourself. And where the boundary is is regional politics and not IT politic.

That the tactics shown by the minister so far has been wrong, that is pretty clear. It is time to now change strategy, and she should, also as Håkan suggest, take help from a more successful minister, Mats Odell. Also of course, ride upon the cooperation that I know the civil servants in her ministry have managed to build with peers in other ministries (a bit late, but better later than never).