The government is increasing the pressure on IP-Only

IP-Only has been reported 181 times to the General Complaints Board (ARN) so far this year, as many broadband customers have been disappointed by the long wait for fiber expansion, especially in rural areas.

- I am extremely worried about the position of consumers. Seriously enough, it is enough for me to conclude that we need to have a critical dialogue, says Shekarabi and continues:

- I met many rural citizens who complained of heavy delays in the delivery of broadband, and that they have great difficulties as a result of the delays.

What Shekarabi wants to discuss at the meeting is that an action plan is drawn up, and that IP-Only shows that the company is acting to reduce delays.

IP-Only welcomes the initiative and looks forward to talking with the Minister. The meeting will be held on August 27 at the Ministry of Finance.

- I share his image of the importance of a functioning broadband expansion throughout the country. Our highest priority is to speed up the expansion, increase the confidence of our customers and reduce the number of notifications, says CEO Frida Westerberg.

According to her, the company will implement a number of measures in the future to do just that. Among other things, improve communication with customers and convey clearer schedules.

- The reason for the delay is that IP-Only, together with other players in the industry, underestimated the difficulty of digging fiber in the countryside.

She explains that the development in Sweden first started in the urban areas, where there were not the same kind of problems with permits as in rural areas.

- In the urban areas, 24 months was a realistic schedule, but in the countryside there were major delays. Perhaps the biggest challenge has been that the Swedish Transport Administration's handling times for excavation permits have been too long, says Frida Westerberg.

According to the CEO, other problems have been difficult terrain and private landowners with whom the company had to negotiate.

- We have now got that process under control, but we are still being delayed by certain projects. There we try to get up to speed.

She hopes that the dialogue with the Minister of Civil Affairs can lead to fewer obstacles with permits, which in the long run will reduce delays.

At the same time, Ardalan Shekarabi is criticizing the fact that IP-Only, the player that has applied and been granted the most government subsidy for expanding the fiber network, is being pulled with such extensive delays.

Frida Westerberg gives the company's view on the matter:

- The grants are only paid when the fiber installation is completed. For many parts of Sweden this is a prerequisite for being able to build fiber, but unfortunately the grants do not make the construction progress faster.