State of the Art of Telecommunications Power in Sweden

The Swedish Telecommunications Administration, Televerket, is a state-owned public utility and - running as a monopoly - it is responsible for installation, ownership and operation of telephone, telex, data and radio communication in Sweden. After more than 100 years existence the telephone network in Sweden now offers fully automatic dialling for every subscriber and the country has the second highest telephone density (about 75%) in the world. Sweden is also one of the cheapest countries in the world regarding the costs for using the telephone. The telex as well as the data networks are now being totally completed for fully automatic traffic in digital SPC technique and the very first electronic telephone exchange is in service. By 1985 approximately one million Swedish subscribers are estimated to be connected to SPC exchanges with digital group switches. All of the electromechanical switching equipment in the networks is designed and manufactured in Sweden and the greater part has been developed by Televerket. For example, as early as before 1920 Televerket had manufactured and brought into use the first crossbar switch and the new electronic AXE system has been developed by Televerket and L M Ericsson jointly, to be manufactured by both parties.