Connectivity Technology Blog

Back in 2020, I wrote about Finland’s plans to replace its long-established TETRA-based Virve public safety network with a new broadband service based on 4G and 5G. I followed this with an update in 2021 , when Virve 2.0 was still largely a development programme and the expectation was that the existing and new networks would operate side by side during the migration. Several years later, Virve 2, as it is now generally called, has moved from planning, procurement and testing into nationwide deployment. Erillisverkot confirmed in its 2025 annual report that the Virve 2 service had been completed and that its key services were operational throughout Finland and Åland . The complete service consists of four main components: the Virve 2 connection service, Group Voice Service, Group Video Service and Terminal Device Service. All the key services have received approval for operational deployment under Finland’s legislation governing the government security network. The underlying model b...

One of the interesting presentations I attended at Critical Communications World 2026 was on SWEN , the Swedish Emergency Network, being developed by the Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency. Like many European countries, Sweden is preparing for the transition from an existing narrowband TETRA network to a new generation of mission-critical broadband communications. Sweden’s current Rakel network has provided critical communications for emergency services and other public safety organisations for many years, but the future requires much more than reliable push-to-talk voice. What caught my attention during the presentation was that SWEN is far more than simply replacing TETRA radios with 4G and 5G devices. The programme is bringing together commercial mobile networks, dedicated spectrum, reinforced coverage, temporary and deployable coverage, mission-critical services, new devices and a long-term migration strategy. Just as importantly, it is being developed in close cooperatio...