Skip to main content
The Electronic Communications Office of Iceland Frontpage
The Electronic Communications Office of Iceland Frontpage

Electronic Communications Office

Government’s telecommunications policy

Ministry of Infrastructure prepares a Green Paper on electronic communications and cybersecurity

The Ministry of Infrastructure is preparing a Green Paper on electronic communications and cybersecurity.Electronic communications and cybersecurity are fundamental to the functioning of modern society. Secure, robust and resilient electronic communications are essential for digital services, economic activity, regional development, emergency communications, public services and everyday life. At the same time, cybersecurity, resilience and trust in digital systems are key prerequisites for ensuring the secure operation of services that are critical to society.Consideration is being given to whether a single integrated policy and action plan for electronic communications and cybersecurity should be developed, or two separate but coordinated policies. Minister of Infrastructure Eyjólfur Ármannsson intends to present a new policy, or policies, in this area in early 2027.

About the previous Electronic Communications Plan

The role of the Electronic Communications Office of Iceland is to oversee electronic communications within the jurisdiction of the Icelandic State. Act No. 70/2022 on Electronic Communications addresses the administration of electronic communications. It states, inter alia:

  • The Minister has overall responsibility for electronic communications.

  • The Electronic Communications Office of Iceland shall oversee electronic communications within the jurisdiction of the Icelandic State and supervise the implementation of the Act.

  • Every four years, the Minister shall submit to Alþingi a proposal for a parliamentary resolution on an Electronic Communications Plan setting out policy for the following twelve years. The Electronic Communications Plan shall provide an overview of the current situation and outlook for electronic communications in Iceland and assess and take into account society’s need for improved electronic communications. It shall define the objectives to be pursued by the Government, thereby laying the foundations for the further development of Icelandic society. These objectives shall promote electronic communications that are accessible and readily available, economical and efficient, secure and environmentally friendly. The Electronic Communications Plan may take a comprehensive approach to electronic communications in conjunction with other forms of communication, such as electronic communications and communications based on postal services.

The Electronic Communications Plan shall place emphasis on:

  1. achieving broad cooperation between the market, consumers, public bodies and ministries on policymaking relating to electronic communications and related fields;

  2. strengthening competition in the electronic communications market and improving Iceland’s competitiveness;

  3. ensuring the security of public electronic communications networks within Iceland and Iceland’s connections with the rest of the world;

  4. ensuring the efficient use of financial resources and maximising the positive impact of electronic communications technologies on economic growth;

  5. achieving coordinated prioritisation and policymaking, with priorities based on an assessment of the need for improvements both nationwide and in individual regions; and

  6. promoting economic development, improving quality of life and supporting positive regional development.

The Electronic Communications Plan shall also include an action plan for the following four years, and the Minister shall submit a proposal for a parliamentary resolution on such a plan to Alþingi. The action plan shall be reviewed every two years, at which point a new proposal for a parliamentary resolution may be submitted to Alþingi, although this must be done at least every four years. The four-year plan shall set out funding and expenditure for individual projects, as applicable.The Electronic Communications Plan and its four-year action plan shall enter into force once they have been adopted by Alþingi as parliamentary resolutions.