Stokab contributes to a collection to help rebuild Ukraine's telecom infrastructure

The Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) received a request during the spring from its Ukrainian counterpart, the Ukrainian telecoms regulator, to contribute to the reconstruction of the country’s infrastructure for electronic communications. A collection coordinated by Sweden's National Telecoms Cooperation Group (NTSG) enabled the shipment of a truckload of equipment to Ukraine in July.

It was in April that PTS and the Ministry of Infrastructure received a letter from the Ukrainian embassy requesting support. The type of support requested was whether Sweden could contribute with telecom equipment and material to help rebuild Ukraine's infrastructure for electronic communications.

PTS, which itself does not own any network or equipment for electronic communications, turned to NTSG, where Stokab is a member, with an enquiry whether there were any equipment or material that its members could contribute. With the support of Sweden’s Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), an EU-funded transport containing different types of material from members of NTSG and of the Local Fibre Alliance’s Infrastructure Cooperation Group (SISG), was arranged and could depart from Sweden to Ukraine in mid-July.

– The shipment reached a logistics hub in Poland two days after it left Sweden and PTS is now assessing the results of the support efforts, said Ove Landberg, head of the department for secure communications at PTS.

Among the material sent in the lorry were drums of fibre cable, stands, switches, patch cables and WDM equipment.

– It feels both safe… and in some way humane, that Swedish players within the telecom sector, are able to contribute with equipment to countries in need with short notice without having to jeopardise our own country’s ability in case a crisis would occur, says Ove.

– Contributions have been made from the city of Boden in the north, to Gothenburg in the south, and we will most likely make a new request to operators later during the autumn in order to support Ukraine, Ove finalises.