History of the Internet in Sweden

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The history of Internet in Sweden can be considered to have begun in 1984, when the first Swedish network was connected to the Internet. Prior to that, there were data links between some colleges and universities with access via modem and UUCP to the European part of the Internet. Thereafter, Internet access spread to large companies and the general public.

The Internet's predecessor, the ARPANET, carried its first packets in 1969 in the United States using data communication techniques invented and first-implemented by Donald Davies for the NPL network in the United Kingdom.

In the 1960s, ASEA was commissioned by Vattenfall to create a computer-based monitoring system to reduce the risk of disturbances in Sweden's power grid. This grid was connected with those of Finland, Norway and Denmark. Up until then, the telephone was the main tool for engineers monitoring the power grid. For this purpose an ARPANET-like network, TIDAS [sv], was now developed by ASEA, between 1972 to 1975.

The TIDAS network included split horizon route advertisement, an innovation by Swedish researcher Torsten Cegrell [sv] that was soon built into the ARPANET and thus the Internet.^[1] It is a method of preventing routing loops. Patrik Fältström [sv] was a mathematics student in Stockholm in the early 1980s when he was hired to help build and test the infrastructure for the ARPANET.^[2] Generally speaking, the Swedish network started with colleges and universities and then expanded with purely commercial operators offering access first to large companies and, in 1994, to the general public.

The ARPANET grew, and in 1973 it was for the first time connected outside the United States. In June that year, a transatlantic satellite link connected ARPANET to the Norwegian Seismic Array (NORSAR), via the Tanum Teleport [sv] Earth Station in Sweden.

The KOM system [sv] is central to the history of the Internet in Sweden. In 1978, it was developed at the Stockholm Computer Center [sv], by Jacob Palme and Torgny Tholerus. The KOM system was a Bulletin board system (BBS) where users could connect to a central computer and discuss with each other, play games and exchange files. From 1982, users of the KOM system could also send e-mails via a connection to ARPANET.^[3]

In 1979, Televerket started its Datavision service (later called Videotex), to which people connected with modems and special software and subscriptions. It was offered commercially in 1982. Many large companies adopted the service, but otherwise it was not widely used. The service was discontinued in 1993. The first Swedish non-profit BBS was started in 1980 by the ABC-Club [sv]. An association for users of the ABC 80 home computer.

In the 1980s, there was disagreement about whether TCP/IP or X.25 should be used as the technology for sending information. Telecommunications companies in Europe preferred the X.25 system, which was not only secure but also allowed the authorities to charge for traffic. In Sweden, Televerket's system for this was called Datapak. The system is still used in places that need extra security, such as credit card terminals and ATMs. In the end, TCP/IP with its flexibility was the winner and some consider that the Internet was born on January 1, 1983 when ARPANET switched from two-way communication with NCP to TCP/IP.

A UUCP link was established via EUnet in 1982 connecting Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark and the United Kingdom.^[4] The first e-mail message received in Sweden was sent by Jim McKie from the Amsterdam Mathematics Centre to Björn Eriksen [sv] at ENEA AB in Stockholm on April 7, 1983. To receive the message, Eriksen had connected a VAX 780 computer to the European part of the Internet with a 1200 bit/s modem. The computer terminal that received the message, a Digital DECwriter III, has been located at the National Museum of Science and Technology in Stockholm since October 2023.

In the early summer of 1984, Sweden got its first own part of the Internet, when research assistant Ulf Bilting at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg connected the local network at the Department of Computer Science as IP network number 192.5.50.0, which is then connected to ARPANET.^[5]

During the 1980s, the development of the Internet in Sweden was largely about universities. The university network SUNET was created and connected the Swedish universities. This enabled researchers and students to communicate digitally with each other and to send messages and documents. Gradually, the Nordic university networks were also connected to NORDUnet, and in December 1988, the Nordic universities were linked to Princeton University in New Jersey. This gave students and researchers in Sweden real access to the Internet. Between 1979 and 1988, the university network SUNET used Televerket's X.25 and then abandoned it permanently in favor of leased direct connections.^[6]

Outside the university system, ordinary people still had to make do with Bulletin boards. The computers in these were reached by ordinary telephone and often only had space for one call at a time. It could therefore only be used by one user at a time and was often located in the home of the owner of the BBS. In 1985, a new BBS was launched by the ABC Club. This version allowed multiple simultaneous users, thanks to a DEC-10 computer available to the ABC Club, and thus real-time discussions. The design of the discussion forum was reminiscent of the American Usenet system, with a feature similar to online services such as the American Prodigy and the British Compunet. This BBS was accessible on a non-profit basis via a modem connection, and discussion groups included many of the people who would later become important key figures in the coming electronic Sweden: Sven Wickberg, Anders Franzén, Henrik Schyffert and Jan-Inge Flücht.^[7] In 1986, Björn Eriksen registered the .se top-level domain, which he administered until 1997.^[8][9]

In 1990, Tim Berners-Lee created the World Wide Web. The Web is free and free to use for both developers and surfers. The first site was launched in 1991 at the CERN research center in Switzerland, and still exists. In May 1990, an initiative was taken to form the Swedish Network Users' Society (SNUS) to promote the use of networks based on TCP/IP. The society was also instrumental in enabling companies and ordinary Swedes to start using the network the following year when Swipnet [sv], part of the Stenbeck sphere, became the first commercial ISP.^[10] Televerket could have been first, but they preferred X.25 technology and declined. However, Televerket, via Unisource, created Tipnet as a quick but half-hearted attempt at a counter move.

In 1990 Nordunet's Atlantic link to the USA was upgraded to 64 kbit/s, in 1991 it was upgraded to 128 kbit/s and in 1992 to 512 kbit/s. Televerket's monopoly on fixed lines ended in 1993. In the same year, Linköping University's Lysator computer association installed a fixed connection in the Ryd student housing area via a microwave link under the project name Rydnet.^[11]

In Sweden, 1994 was a key year in the development of the Internet. Carl Bildt and Bill Clinton were the first heads of government in the world to exchange emails, and in the same year the government donated SEK one billion to the newly created Knowledge Foundation (KK-stiftelsen [sv])^[12] to invest in technology, including in schools. At the same time, the IT Commission was formed, which launched a number of digital initiatives, including in schools. In connection with the 1994 Swedish general election, the election results were sent out by e-mail for the first time, and many Swedish newspapers acquired their first websites as a result. The very first to do so was Aftonbladet, which put its society pages on the web on August 25, 1994.

In May 1994, Kuai Connection opened.^[13] In I Ching, Kuai (or Guài) means breakthrough and determination. Shortly thereafter in July 1994, 24-year-old Ragnar Lönn started Algonet. Älgö-nät, after Älgö in Nacka where Lönn grew up. These were aimed at private individuals (Algonet initially hoped for 400 paying customers) and got the common man to start surfing in larger numbers. The cost of use consisted of a fixed monthly fee and a per-minute fee in the form of a call rate which, due to Telia's natural monopoly on telephony, made this fee high. As long term connectivity was expensive, some resorted to illegal methods such as toll-free numbers with hijacked credit cards to stay connected for a long time at no cost.

At this time, the Internet started to grow in Sweden, business leaders acquired email addresses and web agencies were started. In 1995, a new cable was laid across the Atlantic, bringing the connection to 34 Mbit/s, which significantly increased the Swedish capacity. At the time it was the most powerful international connection, the previous record being 6 Mbit/s. In 1995, Sveriges Television's news program Rapport broadcast a report on the Internet every day for a week. In 1995, 2% of the Swedish population (+12 years) had access to the Internet at home while 25% had access to a computer at home.

In 1995, the punk magazine Flashback also launched its first website. Readers could chat via an IRC channel and participate in mailing lists. It was not until five years later that the discussion forum with which the name Flashback is associated today was launched.

At the same time, Telia launched its Passagen portal. Web portals are a concept that was in vogue at the time. During these years, the number of websites on the Internet exploded and in 1996 an Internet subscription became the Christmas present of the year in Sweden. At the same time, Rickard Eriksson started the community Stajlplejs (which was commercialized and renamed LunarStorm in 2000), which was one of the world's very first social networks. The site became popular in Sweden, especially among young people.

In 1996, the municipal company Ängelholms Kabel-TV AB was one of the first in the country to offer internet access via Cable TV modems with an Ethernet interface to 7,000 households with a connection fee of SEK 2,000 and a monthly fee of SEK 300. During the first year, about 100 households took up the offer and connected. In the same year, Umeå's Irrblosset housing association was one of the first to connect to the internet with 10 Mbit/s Ethernet at a low fixed monthly cost. Other similar projects in Umeå were Baldakinen and Kvarteret Vittran. Already in 1996, many student residences in Umeå had a fixed 10Mbit/s internet connection.

In 1997, Telia tested unlimited ADSL broadband and optical fiber to students and Internet cafés in Sundsvall, in a pilot project called Supernet. The project tested and demonstrated many of the applications that we take for granted today, e.g. live streamed radio and TV channels, web-based multimedia and interactive education and live video meeting services. The services were produced together with external partners, e.g. Sundsvalls Tidning/Radio RIX, Mid Sweden University, Sundsvall Municipality and others.^[14]

In 1997, SUNET sold its and Sweden's only Internet exchange point (D-GIX) to the company Netnod after the government requested in 1996 that the Internet in Sweden be formalized and secured. In 1998, an Internet exchange point was also opened in Gothenburg and more followed.^[15]

Until 1997, Björn Eriksen handled the registration of all .se domains in Sweden on his own. He did this in his spare time from his basement. The possibility of getting your own .se domain name was reserved for companies and organizations. An investigation suggested that a foundation should take over the registration, and on October 8, 1997, Björn Eriksen transferred responsibility to the newly established The Swedish Internet Foundation.^[16]

In 1997, the Swedish government decided that anyone who bought a home computer could deduct the cost. The aim of the reform was to increase digital literacy in Sweden. This decision, called the Home PC Reform, revolutionized PC sales and led to many Swedish households getting their first computer and internet connection.^[17]

At this time, IT companies such as Framfab, Icon Medialab and Spray Network were at the forefront of internet development in Sweden and both Sweden and the world were in the dot-com bubble. Jonas Birgersson [sv], CEO of Framfab, was called "Broadband Jesus" and symbolized a new type of business leader. Birgersson was passionate about creating a fiber network across Sweden and likened it to the 21st century equivalent of the 19th century railway expansion. In 1999, Bredbandsbolaget was launched and announced on the same day that HSB's 350,000 condominiums would be connected with broadband, which accounted for about 10% of the total number of apartment buildings. The aim was to make surfing, which had hitherto been done via modems over thin telephone wires, really fast. Telia countered by saying that it would invest SEK 1.4 billion. Soon a market was created where Bredbandsbolaget and Telia were just two of several players. In 2001, ADSL was made available, in beginning only from Telia who owned the existing copper telephone lines.

In the early 2000s, the dot-com bubble burst. On March 6, 2000, the stock market fell and many companies were dragged down with it. Before the fall, Ericsson accounted for almost 40% of the total value of the Nasdaq Stockholm (SEK 1,800 billion). In two and a half years, the company's share price fell from SEK 826 to SEK 16.85. Other Swedish companies affected by the fall were e-commerce sites Boo.com and Letsbuyit.com.

In 2001, the encyclopedia Wikipedia was launched and in the same year the Swedish-language Wikipedia was launched. The similar Swedish encyclopedia Susning.nu was also launched that year and was for many years larger than Wikipedia in Sweden.

ADSL was introduced in 2001 in 25 prioritized locations via Telia's ADSL service, with 150 kbit/s transmission speed and 512 kbit/s reception speed. Initially, Telia tried to charge per amount of data transmitted, but this was soon abandoned in the emerging competitive situation.

In 2000, 51% of the Swedish population (+12 years) had access to the Internet at home while 62% had access to a computer at home. In five years, internet access had increased by 49 percentage points. Two percent had access to broadband.

During this period, computer gaming increasingly moved online. In 2001, the Swedish team Ninjas in Pyjamas won the first world championship in Counter-Strike.

Music in MP3 format started to gain ground against the CD. Niklas Zennström created the file-sharing service Kazaa which, together with Napster, disrupted the music industry as files can be shared between users for free. As a result of the increase in file sharing, Piratbyrån and Rättighetsalliansen were founded. The Swedish BitTorrent site The Pirate Bay is also launched, where anyone can download movies, computer programs and games.

In 2003, some telephony also moved online, through Niklas Zennström's Skype service. Skype was then bought by the auction site EBay for billions. The service made international calls free, among other things.

In the mid-2000s, the web began to rely more on interaction and collaboration rather than static websites; some call this phenomenon Web 2.0. In 2005, YouTube was launched, followed the next year by Twitter and Facebook, which quickly became popular in Sweden. These services are based on users' material, which is something that the Swedes had already been good at with social networks such as LunarStorm and Skunk. During this period, in the mid-2000s, the phenomenon of blogs became very popular. One of the Swedish pioneers and most popular blogs at the time was run by Isabella Löwengrip, then better known as "Blondinbella".

As more and more of our lives moved online, file sharing and online privacy became an increasingly important issue, especially for young adults. In 2006, the Pirate Party was founded. The party stands for privacy, free culture and the restriction of copyright and patents. In the 2009 European Parliament election, they were one of the big winners of the election when they were elected to the European Parliament with 7.1% of the vote.

In 2006, the same year the Pirate Party was founded, the streaming service Spotify was also founded, by the then 23-year-old Daniel Ek and Tradedoubler founder Martin Lorentzon. In 2008, the service was launched to the public and became very popular, killing much of the music file sharing in Sweden.

The Sweden Democrats' website was shut down on February 9, 2006, after an official at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and personnel from the Swedish Security Service contacted the web hosting company Levonline AB. This led to the resignation of Foreign Minister Laila Freivalds.

In 2007, the iPhone was launched and this, along with the emergence of other smartphones, has had a major impact on internet use in Sweden. Compared to the time before the launch of the iPhone in 2007, Swedes spend four to five times as much time online in 2020.

In 2009, a highly publicized verdict was handed down against The Pirate Bay; its representatives Fredrik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, Peter Sunde and Carl Lundström were sentenced to prison and damages of SEK 46 million for copyright infringement. According to The Pirate Bay itself, it accounted for 40% of the world's internet traffic at one point. The site lives on, although file sharing has declined to some extent, due to successful legal alternatives.

2020 Swedish regulators banned the use of networking equipment from Huawei and ZTE its 5G network.^[18]

• History of the Internet
• Internet in Sweden