Drafting of an act on the location of underground network infrastructure to be discontinued

The Ministry of Transport and Communications will discontinue the preparation of a government proposal concerning information on the location of underground network infrastructure. This decision was made because a number of challenges came to light during the preparation of the government proposal. 

During the preparation of the act, it also became apparent that the cost of the project would outweigh its expected benefits. 

The purpose of the act was to make it easier to access information on the location of underground network infrastructure. The preparatory work carried out during this government term has been a continuation of the work carried out during several past government terms.

The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom had worked for a number of years on the preparation of a centralised network infrastructure location information service, but Minister of Transport and Communications Lulu Ranne terminated the project in October 2024. After this, alternative ways of implementing the service were examined, and preparation continued as a legislative project on the basis of the hybrid model. The hybrid model would have allowed operators to either manage information on their own networks themselves responding to network information queries or submit the network information to a system centrally managed by Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom. 

The act would have created a legislative basis for the creation of a location information service. Regulation would have aimed at protecting network location information and ensuring the information security of information processing.

Based on feedback from the consultation round carried out in early 2026, the Ministry came to the conclusion that the hybrid model would not meet needs effectively either. This would have substantially increased the administrative work of operators and increased the costs resulting from such things as information security and security clearances. The opinions also highlighted a concern that a centralised model would increase the vulnerability of information security.

What’s next?

Due to the current decline in the central government’s financial situation, the Ministry does not consider the further development of the location information service possible, and the preparation of the act facilitating this service it will be discontinued. 

Solutions to the challenges identified in the current state of location information will be sought primarily through existing legislation and regulations. 

The current regulation on the location information service is contained in the Act on Shared Construction to Expedite Construction of Communications and Electricity Networks. The regulation will be repealed to the extent that it applies to the location information service in connection with a relevant legislative project.

Enquiries:

Lauri Mustonen, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 342 252, [email protected]