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8 Key measures presented in the white paper

8.1 Part II ICT policy for a user-centric and efficient public administration

Chapter 6.2

The Government wants genuine user participation to ensure that users' views and needs are addressed in the development of digital services.
The Government will encourage new attempts using service design to create more good, user-centric services.
The Government will move the work on the digital-by-default strategy forward by mapping how digital by default can best be accomplished within sectors and across sectors and administrative levels.

Chapter 7.4.2

Each agency shall have an overview of what data it handles, what the data signify, what they can be used for, what processes they are part of, and who can use them.
Agencies shall particularly consider the exchange of information in specific areas where this is not already implemented or where processes can be improved.
The Government will begin work on establishing a common framework for integrated information management and pilot projects for a common data directory.

Chapter 8.3.3

The Government emphasises that each sector is responsible for using common solutions and for complying with common frameworks and requirements.
The Government points out that each agency and sector has a clear responsibility to assure the interest of the public sector as a whole when implementing new technical solutions.
Agencies shall endeavour to find solutions together wherever successful digitisation is contingent on close cooperation.
The Government wants stronger governance and coordination where tasks need to be performed by multiple agencies or across administrative levels or sectors.
All ministerial units shall complete the competence development scheme Strategic ICT for Managers by spring 2017.

Chapter 9.3.2

Government agencies shall take more responsibility for developing integrated digital solutions which can also be used by the municipal sector in the cases of tasks that are resolved across central government and the local government sector.
Difi shall prepare an overview of planned and ongoing digitisation measures in the public sector that affect the municipal sector, including an overview of potential benefits in the measures and plans for realising them.
Each public agency shall collaborate with Difi and the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities on digitisation matters.
The Government will prepare a general overview of important orders and recommendations concerning digitisation in the municipal sector.

Chapter 10.4.6

The Government will work towards increasing the use of common ICT solutions across actors and levels in the health and care sector. Governance and financing models that can support this development shall be tested.
The Government will regularly consider whether current legal bases sufficiently support achieving the goals of integrated ICT functionality.

Chapter 11.4.2

The Government will facilitate the use of national common components by the entire public sector, meaning government and municipal agencies and others who perform public administrative tasks.
Common component administrators and service owners shall observe the strategic principles for using and developing national common components.
Modernisation of the National Population Register.
The Government will use electronic identification solutions from the market wherever the market can offer satisfactory solutions and where doing so is otherwise expedient.
The Government will issue national ID cards, possibly with electronic identification, from 2017.
The Government will continually review the current strategy for using electronic identification in the public sector in light of current developments.

Chapter 12.6.4

The Government will reduce the size of individual digitisation projects in terms of both budget and duration in order to reduce complexity and risk.
The Government will set requirements for public agencies regarding the use of project models, based on good practice.
The Government will use the Digitisation Council to contribute to quality assuring public-sector digitisation projects.
The Government will support more profitable ICT projects through the co-financing scheme.
The Government will set requirements for all agencies to have a sourcing strategy of relevant scope.
The Government will continue the supplier development programme and ensure that public-sector digitisation projects generate more innovation.
The Government will present a national strategy for using cloud services.

8.2 Part III ICT policy for value creation and inclusion

Chapter 13.2

The Government will continue to pursue an active European policy in the digital area, closely monitor ongoing processes in the EU, and actively contribute with proposals and opinions that align with Norwegian interests.

Chapter 14.4

The Government will initiate studies to map the sharing economy from a Norwegian perspective, including current initiatives and the economic and value-adding potential.
The Government will support the work, and consider following up the recommendations, of the committee appointed to assess the challenges and opportunities presented by the sharing economy.
The Government will make certain amendments to the Freedom of Information Act's provisions concerning reuse of public-sector information. These amendments will make it easier to make public-sector data accessible, with a view to making more datasets accessible and increasing reuse.
The Government will prepare strategies and action plans for increasing the accessibility of data pertaining to culture, geodata, and public expenditure by the end of 2016.
A strategy for making transport-sector data accessible shall be included in the new National Transport Plan due to be presented to the Storting in 2017.
The Government will prepare a strategy or action plan for making research data more accessible by the end of 2017.
The Government will follow up requirements for machine-readable formats by revising Guidelines for making public data accessible.
The Government will monitor technology developments in big data and consider the need for a strategy for using big data in the public sector.
The Government will strengthen participation by Norwegian public agencies in relevant EU research projects.
The Government will return to the use of ITS in connection with the white paper on the National Transport Plan 2018–2029 due to be presented to the Storting in spring 2017.
The Government will assess the need for facilitating smart city development in Norway.

Chapter 15.4

The Government will enter into an agreement with the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities to establish a guidance service for citizens who need help using municipal digital services. Government agencies providing services to the public will be invited to cooperate.
The Government will ensure that the public libraries play a key role in the work on providing the population with a better guidance service in basic digital competence.
The Government will facilitate increased use of welfare technology and mobile health technology to strengthen users' coping ability in everyday life and to better utilise health and care service resources.
The Government will strengthen innovation and business development inside welfare technology through the use of open standards and wider use of innovative procurements.
The Government will follow up the Government's action plan for universal design for 2015–2019.
The Government will consider expanding the scope of application of regulations concerning universal design of ICT in the school and education sector.

Chapter 16.4

The Government will launch a proposal to revise the Copyright Act.
The Government will launch a proposal for a new financing model for NRK by the end of 2016.

Chapter 17.2

The Government will facilitate innovation and value creation by ensuring that industrial policy instruments are also available to ICT companies.
The Government will prepare a white paper on framework conditions for the industry that will also discuss automation and digitisation.

Chapter 18.5.3

The Government will initiate a pilot project on ICT programming as an optional subject at lower secondary level to provide a basis for considering whether the subject should be introduced on the same level as other optional subjects.
The Government will consider creating more study places in ICT in the annual budgeting processes.
The Government will encourage the industry and public actors to enter into dialogue with educational institutions regarding the structure of basic education programmes, the content of education programmes, and the development of relevant continuing education and training programmes.
The Government will consider a further increase in ICT-related positions in connection with the Long-term Plan for Research and Higher Education and encourage industry to use the industrial Ph.D. scheme to enhance its advanced ICT competence and innovative ability.
The Government will consider reinforcing its commitment to enabling technologies within the time frame of the long-term plan.
The Government will present a white paper to the Storting on school content. Digital skills and use of digital tools in school education will be more closely considered in connection with this white paper.
The Government will present a white paper to the Storting in 2017 on quality in higher education, in which the application of ICT in higher education will be discussed.

Chapter 19.3.5

The Government will actively ensure sound data protection through its ICT policy.
IT systems in public administration shall safeguard the principles for built-in data protection, including standard privacy-friendly settings.
The Government will strengthen data protection for consumers using digital services.
The Government will ensure a good balance between safeguarding data protection and facilitating research so that citizens have, as far as possible, control over their own data.
The Government will implement the EU's new data protection regulations, make proposals for new national regulations, and assess the need for action other than regulatory measures that can strengthen data protection and help resolve relevant data protection challenges. In this connection, data protection considerations must be weighed against important societal interests.

Chapter 20.8

In line with following up the national strategy for information security, the Government will:

Strengthen coordination of the ICT security regulations nationally and across sectors.
Provide for a secure and robust ICT infrastructure.
Follow up the work on strengthening information security in public administration.
Establish sectoral response environments.
Execute national cybersecurity exercises.
Promote greater openness about cyber incidents.
Strengthen preparedness and efforts to prevent cybercrime.
Make continuous efforts to raise awareness and competence.
Contribute to ensuring high quality in national research and development in the field of cybersecurity.
Contribute to greater public-private cooperation on cybersecurity.
Increase Norway's participation in international cybersecurity arenas.

8.3 Part IV National plan for electronic communication: Electronic communication for increased productivity and a simpler everyday life

Chapter 25.3

Sector-specific competition rules shall accommodate at least three competitive mobile networks.
Regulation shall be based on the principles of technology neutrality and minimum regulation.
There shall be a good balance between flexibility in regulation and the predictability providers need for making investments.
The Government will establish a broadband forum for electronic communication service providers with a view to facilitating sound agreements on access and modernisation of existing access networks. The broadband forum shall contribute to reducing unnecessary conflicts and improving competition in the market. The forum will be headed by the Norwegian Communications Authority.
The electronic communications authority shall offer constructive input to the ongoing work on revising the pan-European framework for electronic communications in order to develop a future-oriented and flexible framework that can adapt to changing market conditions.

Chapter 26

The Government will incorporate the pan-European rules on net neutrality into Norwegian law.
The electronic communications authority shall continue to pursue active dialogue on net neutrality with the electronic communications industry, consumers, content providers and other stakeholders.
The electronic communications authority shall contribute to developing European guidelines for enforcing regulations and needs for national adaptations.
The electronic communications authority shall actively promote Norwegian interests in different forums where methods of regulating net neutrality are discussed.

Chapter 27.2

The established subsidy scheme for broadband rollout shall continue to be directed at broadband rollout in areas where new commercial rollout in the coming years cannot reasonably be expected. One goal for this scheme is to help households and enterprises without a commercial broadband service with a minimum download speed of 4 Mbit/s and upload speed of 1 Mbit/s to receive a broadband service from at least one service provider. Such services should not be based on satellite services.
The Government may consider other measures to ensure a permanent broadband service to everyone if this goal is not achieved through commercial rollout and with the help from the established subsidy scheme.
The Government will consider maintaining the service obligation for telephone services and dial-up internet access for citizens who do not already receive a broadband service and/or telephone service.
The Government will consider the possibility of implementing better, more effective schemes than those currently available for groups with different types of disabilities.

Chapter 28

The Government will facilitate healthy, sustainable competition in the broadband market through effective market regulation.
The Government will maintain the scheme for government funding of broadband rollout. The funding will primarily be directed at areas with no broadband service and at areas that have a broadband service but where the service will not meet future needs. The funding shall only be used where no basis exists for further commercial rollout. The scheme shall be administered by the Norwegian Communications Authority.
To further facilitate rollout in areas not normally commercially attractive and to reduce rollout costs, the Government will:

Contribute to increasing the reuse of existing infrastructure and to coordinating construction work between different infrastructure owners.
Contribute to rendering accessible information on the location of existing infrastructure and on planned construction work.
Ensure that public buildings and property are placed at the disposal of service providers on reasonable terms.

The Government will consider common regulations for laying cables along municipal and county roads with a view to establishing as uniform a practice as possible.
The Government will, via the electronic communications authority, guide public agencies and institutions on the procurement and use of broadband, in light of the fact that public administration is a major procurer of broadband services.
The electronic communications authority shall facilitate consumer portals for electronic communication services that include overviews of broadband coverage, relevant local service providers, and price and capacity offerings.
The Government will continue the work on facilitating sufficient frequencies for mobile broadband.
To ensure good indoor mobile coverage, particularly for voice connectivity, the Government will facilitate the installation and deployment of infrastructure in connection with erecting new energy-efficient buildings.
The Government will ensure that the electronic communications authority follows work being done in other countries and engage in dialogue with market actors to reach a common understanding of how best to improve coverage indoors, in sparsely populated areas, and in other areas frequented by people.

Chapter 28.1

The electronic communications authority shall, together with relevant ministries, facilitate sound communication solutions for the emergency services and preparedness agencies.
The Government will work to ensure that the public electronic communications networks have the best possible capability to support future services for the emergency services and agencies.

Chapter 28.2

The Norwegian National Rail Administration shall continue to facilitate reuse of its GSM-R infrastructure so as to support increased coverage along the rail network.
The Norwegian National Rail Administration shall work on improving coverage in tunnels.
The Government will facilitate best possible cooperation between the Norwegian National Rail Administration, train companies and mobile phone service providers to improve mobile phone coverage for train passengers.

Chapter 28.3

The Government will introduce reduced taxes on electricity supplies to large data centres from 2016.
The electronic communications authority shall map demand for and availability of infrastructure that can be made use of by large data centres.
The Government will assess how to facilitate economically profitable laying of fibre-optic cable to other countries to strengthen the basis for establishing large data centres and other data-based industry in Norway.
The Government will develop a strategy for the economically profitable development of large data centres in Norway.

Chapter 29.1

The Government will further develop regulations and supervision so that information on threats, technological and market developments and society's need for electronic communication services are up to date at all times.
The electronic communications authority shall conduct active guidance and advisory activities. The electronic communications authority shall guide service providers on the content of legal standards pertaining to security and robustness. This role shall also apply to the cyber area.
The electronic communications authority shall serve as a driver for establishing expedient regulation at European level addressing security challenges related to outsourcing and internationalisation and including supervision, control and cross-border cooperation.

Chapter 29.2

The electronic communications authority shall consider policy instruments that facilitate establishment of nationwide, viable alternatives for network services to strengthen the national electronic communications structure.
The electronic communications authority shall investigate how the different nationwide networks can best be utilised to enhance robustness in the overall national electronic communications infrastructure.
The electronic communications authority and relevant industry actors shall investigate the need and alternative solutions for establishing more communication lines between Norway and other countries.

Chapter 29.3

The Government will work to encourage the authorities and the industry to contribute to research and development in security and preparedness in electronic communications networks and services.
Cooperation between the security authorities and the industry shall be further developed to handle threats, including those in the cyber domain and internationalisation.

Chapter 29.4

The electronic communications authority shall investigate whether and how public agencies ought to attach importance to relevant security and preparedness when procuring electronic communication services.
The electronic communications authority shall prepare guidance on security requirements in connection with procuring electronic communication services.
The electronic communications authority shall work actively to see that old technology is phased out when new, more secure technology is available.

Chapter 29.5

The work on nettvett.no shall be continued through development of cooperation between the Norwegian Communications Authority, the Norwegian National Security Authority, the Norwegian Centre for Information Security and possibly other public and private actors.

Chapter 30.1

Better mobile coverage:

Begin using the 700 MHz band for mobile services.
The Government will work actively to ensure area coverage for mobile broadband in areas which electronic communication service providers do not consider commercially attractive to roll out infrastructure by, among other things, facilitating cooperation over rollout or by sharing network components or frequency resources.
To help improve coverage in areas not commercially attractive to roll out, including improving area coverage, the Government may, in line with normal practice, consider using coverage requirements in each individual case when allocating frequency resources with good coverage properties.

Chapter 31.1

The Government will facilitate public-private cooperation in priority areas of the internet policy and national dialogue between the authorities and industry.
The Government will continue to promote freedom of information and basic human rights online.
Norway shall, in cooperation with other European countries, continue to support an open and freely accessible internet (freedom of expression clause).
The electronic communications authority shall be represented and actively participate in the debate on development of the internet in the international arena.
The electronic communications authority shall, in the work done internationally, emphasise the important of improving the multi-stakeholder model, as well as good administrative principles such as openness, accountability, transparency, representation and competence in the organisations controlling basic internet resources such as ICANN/IANA.
Regulation of the internet in Norway should be kept to a minimum.

Chapter 31.2

The Government will continue to work to ensure that the .no domain remain a secure and safe resource providing Norwegian industry with incentives for innovation and business development.
The Norwegian authorities shall work towards and facilitate national dialogue between the authorities and industry to establish and entrench priorities for rolling out national services on the internet.
The electronic communications authority shall, together with Norid, work on internet security, stability and robustness, including key infrastructure and important logical functions.
The Norwegian authorities shall further develop and protect national interests in domain name administration and promote good global and regional administration of internet resources such as domain names and IP addresses.

Chapter 32

The electronic communications authority shall further develop and improve the quality of emergency calls in Norway, in cooperation with the relevant sectoral authorities. Potential changes to be considered in this connection are:

Introduce requirements that improve the accuracy of the location data of the caller. The possibility to send and receive positioning data on handsets should be available.
Strengthening of positioning based on the electronic communication network.
Increased preparedness in the National Reference Database to ensure better accessibility to origin information.
Strengthen accessibility by hearing-impaired or speech-impaired to make emergency calls.
Implementation of the emergency call solution eCall in vehicles.
Increase accessibility to emergency calls and strengthen origin information for IP-based calls (including emergency calls from OTT telephone services).

Chapter 33

Regulation of privacy in electronic communications for electronic communication services:

Norway shall actively contribute to revising the EU directive on the protection of privacy in electronic communications and in the debate on the directive's scope of application.
The electronic communications authority shall assess whether there is a need for national requirements for protection of privacy in electronic communications within the framework of the EEA Agreement.

Privacy protection in electronic communications as a competitive advantage:

The electronic communications authority shall work towards making strong protection of privacy in electronic communications a competitive advantage for Norway when decisions are being made on the location of international service production, data centres and other data-based industry.

The relationship between crime fighting, intelligence and privacy in electronic communications:

The effectiveness of and genuine need for measures that encroach on privacy in electronic communications must be documented with respect to crime fighting and intelligence.
The electronic communications authority shall regularly review the overall level of encroachment on privacy in electronic communications.

Information to users:

The electronic communications authority shall monitor the quality of the information provided by the industry to users regarding what personal data are processed and how the data will be used.
The electronic communications networks shall strengthen users' freedom to make informed choices concerning privacy in electronic communications in electronic communications networks and services.

Chapter 34

The electronic communications authority shall assist the industry in adopting common standards to ensure interconnection and operability between different products and types of equipment, and shall promote Norwegian interests in international standardisation bodies.
The electronic communications authority shall, in cooperation with the industry, speed up the transition from IPv4 to IPv6.
The Government will review the body of rules pertaining to electronic communications with a view to removing any obstacles impeding development of the internet of things.
The Government will facilitate well-functioning communications architecture and infrastructure, which are decisive for development of a smart society in all relevant sectors. The electronic communications authority will take the initiative to increase collaboration across sectors (energy, finance, health, transport and electronic communications).
The Government will facilitate information and guidance for both users and producers of smart solutions regarding relevant requirements for equipment, radiation, security and data protection.