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{{Short description|Overview of internet in Iceland}}
{{Short description|none}}
{{Internet}}
{{Internet}}


The use of the '''Internet in Iceland''' places [[Iceland]] among the top countries in the world in terms of [[Internet]] deployment and use. The use of internet in Iceland is widespread. Iceland has been at the forefront of adopting new internet access technologies starting in the early 1990s with dial-up connections. Today, 1Gbit/s speeds are available to 90% of citizens through full-fibre networks.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2020-04-15 |title=Ljósleiðarinn er á leiðinni til Reykjanesbæjar |url=https://www.ljosleidarinn.is/frettir/82-islenskra-heimila-tengd-ljosleidara/ |url-status=live |access-date=2021-10-23 |website=Ljósleiðarinn |language=is}}</ref> Iceland has 168.2Tb/s of [[Submarine communications cable|submarine]] bandwidth capacity through 4 cables.
[[Iceland]] is among the top countries in the world in terms of [[Internet]] deployment and use. 99.68% of Icelanders used the internet in 2021.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |title=World Bank Open Data |url=https://data.worldbank.org/ |access-date=2023-10-20 |website=World Bank Open Data}}</ref>


As of June 2024, Iceland is listed 6th in the world for fixed access download speeds according to [[Speedtest.net]] at 242.03&nbsp;Mbit/s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Iceland's Mobile and Broadband Internet Speeds |url=https://www.speedtest.net/global-index/iceland#fixed |access-date=2024-07-24 |website=Speedtest Global Index |language=en}}</ref> Today, 93% citizens are connected to [[Fiber to the x|full-fibre (FTTH)]] networks,<ref name=":5" /> with at least 1&nbsp;Gbit/s speeds available to all and 10&nbsp;Gbit/s available to most.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2020-04-15 |title=Ljósleiðarinn er á leiðinni til Reykjanesbæjar |url=https://www.ljosleidarinn.is/frettir/82-islenskra-heimila-tengd-ljosleidara/ |access-date=2021-10-23 |website=Ljósleiðarinn |language=is}}</ref> Iceland has 168.2&nbsp;Tbit/s of [[Submarine communications cable|submarine]] bandwidth capacity through 4 cables. 97% of Icelanders used an [[Icelandic identity card#Electronic identification (eID)|electronic ID]] in 2022 to identify themselves online.<ref name=":11">{{Citation |title=Auðkennisappið, rafræn skilríki - Tengjum ríkið 2022 | date=29 September 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfjfczjV4z4 |access-date=2023-06-15 |language=en}}. 3:20 minute mark.</ref>
Iceland is a world leader in fibre internet deployment: 90% of homes in Iceland have access to [[Fiber to the x|FTTH]] (full fibre) internet services, with offered speeds of 1000Mb/s to residential customers.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://genexis.eu/news/iceland-number-one-country-worldwide-in-homes-connected-to-fiber/|title=Iceland number one country worldwide in homes connected to fiber|date=2016-12-15|newspaper=Genexis|language=en-US|access-date=2017-01-10}}</ref> The main access providers are Míla hf, operating the largest national trunk network and [[GPON]] fibre (FTTH) network, and Ljósleiðarinn operating a [[Bit-stream access|bitsteam access]] [[Point-to-point (telecommunications)|PTP]] fibre network as well as smaller companies operating locally.


[[Míla]] (formerly part of [[Síminn]], former [[Incumbent local exchange carrier|incumbent]]) operates the largest national trunk network, copper and [[GPON|GPON (FTTH)]] fibre access network. Ljósleiðarinn, originally a fully municipal owned network, operates a competing national trunk and [[Bit-stream access|bitsteam access]] [[Point-to-point (telecommunications)|PTP]] fibre network. Smaller local ISPs operate locally. Neyðarlínan (112), is the current government-owned [[Universal service|universal service provider]]. [[Síminn]], [[Vodafone Iceland|Vodafone]], [[Nova (telecommunications)|NOVA]] and Hringdu are the Iargest ISPs in Iceland.
[[.is|ISNIC]] is the Icelandic domain registry for its country-code top level domain, [[.is]]. It is a member of the [[RIPE NCC]], Europe's regional Internet registry. ISNIC also operate Iceland's only open-policy [[internet exchange point]], the [[Reykjavik Internet Exchange|Reykjavík Internet Exchange]] (RIX).


[[.is|ISNIC]] is the Icelandic domain registry for its country-code top level domain, [[.is]]. It is a member of the [[RIPE NCC]], Europe's regional Internet registry. ISNIC also operate Iceland's only open-policy [[internet exchange point]], the [[Reykjavik Internet Exchange|Reykjavík Internet Exchange]] (RIX). CERT-IS manages Iceland's national [[Computer security|cyber-security]].{{TOC limit |limit=2}}
Broadband internet access gained rapid popularity in Iceland due to the early use of [[Internet Protocol television|IPTV]] technologies in the early 2000s. [[Cable television|Cable]] and [[Satellite television|Satellite TV]] services are next to nonexistent and therefore the provision of TV through DSL or fiber was in high demand. The majority of connections in Iceland are by [[Fiber-optic communication|fibre]] or [[VDSL]] with [[Síminn]], [[Vodafone Iceland|Vodafone]] and [[Nova (telecommunications)|NOVA]] being the main providers.{{TOC limit |limit=2}}


==Access technology==
==Access technology==
In terms of terms of types of connections; [[Fiber to the x|fibre]] ([[Point-to-point (telecommunications)|PTP]] and [[GPON]]) and [[Very-high-bit-rate digital subscriber line|VDSL/2]] are the most common types. DSL use peaked in 2008 at 98% of connections, and has been decreasing since as connections are being replaced by fibre. A minority of connections are by provided by fixed wireless in the most remote of locations.
Full-fibre is the most common connection medium ([[Fiber to the x|FTTH/FTTB]], through both [[Point-to-point (telecommunications)|PTP]] and [[GPON]]). Some rural towns are still reliant on [[VDSL]] connections. A minority of rural connections are by provided by [[ADSL]] and [[fixed wireless]] in the most remote of locations.


As of the end of 2022:<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Fjarskiptastofa |title=Tölfræðaskýrsla 2022 |url=https://www.fjarskiptastofa.is/library?itemid=8a1118e4-289e-4f55-bbb2-1f6f969e829b}}</ref>
At the end of 2023, for residential connections, as per the Electronic Communications Office of Iceland:<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Fjarskiptastofa |title=Tölfræðaskýrsla 2022 |url=https://www.fjarskiptastofa.is/library?itemid=8a1118e4-289e-4f55-bbb2-1f6f969e829b}}</ref>
* 82% of broadband connections using optical fiber ([[Fiber to the x|FTTH]]).
* 88.7% of broadband provided using optical fibre ([[Fiber to the x|FTTH]]).
* 16.2% of the broadband access being [[VDSL]] ([[FTTC]]).
* 10.3% of the broadband provided by [[VDSL]] ([[FTTC]]).
* 1.5% of broadband access by [[Asymmetric digital subscriber line|ADSL]]<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Fjarskiptastofa |title=Markaðsgreining á heildsölumörkuðum fyrir staðaraðgang með fasttengingu og miðlægan aðgang með fasttengingu fyrir fjöldaframleiddar vörur |url=https://www.fjarskiptastofa.is/library?itemid=90a3be67-565c-4c00-82ff-865cf81e9459}}</ref>
* 0.9% of broadband provided by [[Asymmetric digital subscriber line|ADSL]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Fjarskiptastofa |title=Markaðsgreining á heildsölumörkuðum fyrir staðaraðgang með fasttengingu og miðlægan aðgang með fasttengingu fyrir fjöldaframleiddar vörur |url=https://www.fjarskiptastofa.is/library?itemid=90a3be67-565c-4c00-82ff-865cf81e9459}}</ref>
* 0.2% of access is provided by [[fixed wireless]].
* 0.2% of access is provided by [[fixed wireless]].


In terms of advertised download speeds:
In terms of advertised download speeds:
* 68.4% of connections are 500Mbit/s and above
* 0.2% of connections are over 2500&nbsp;Mbit/s
* 17.2% of connections are between 100 and 500Mbit/s and above.
* 48.1% of connections are between 1000 and 2500&nbsp;Mbit/s.
* 14.3% of connections are between 10 and 100Mbit/s.
* 25 % of connections are between 500 and 1000&nbsp;Mbit/s.
* Less than 0.1% of connections are below 10Mbit/s.<ref name=":3" />
* 17.4% of connections are between 100 and 500&nbsp;Mbit/s.
* 9.2% of connections are between 10 and 100&nbsp;Mbit/s.
* Less than 0.1% of connections are below 10&nbsp;Mbit/s.<ref name=":3" />


Over 93% of homes in Iceland have full fibre access.<ref name=":5" /> Míla offers a [[10G-PON|XG-PON]]/[[GPON]] network with a minimum flat rate delivered at 1&nbsp;Gbit/s, and additional access tiers of 2.5, 5 and 10&nbsp;Gbit/s. Ljósleiðarinn's network is based on a [[Point-to-point (telecommunications)|PTP]] wholesale interconnect model, with a minimum flat rate delivered at 1&nbsp;Gbit/s and an additional charge for 10&nbsp;Gbit/s service.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Þurfum við allan þennan hraða? |url=https://www.mbl.is/frettir/taekni/2023/09/03/thurfum_vid_allan_thennan_hrada/ |access-date=2023-10-20 |website=www.mbl.is |language=is}}</ref> Ljósleiðarinn's full fibre network extends to 100% of the [[Capital Region (Iceland)|Reykjavík capital area]] as of 2016.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=2016-12-15 |title=Iceland number one country worldwide in homes connected to fiber |url=https://genexis.eu/news/iceland-number-one-country-worldwide-in-homes-connected-to-fiber/ |access-date=2017-01-10 |newspaper=Genexis |language=en-US}}</ref> Míla operates full-fibre access networks in most urban areas of Iceland but does not have as complete coverage of the Reykjavík area. Ljósleiðarinn also has 100% fibre coverage in smaller towns such as [[Reykjanesbær]],<ref name=":2" /> [[Akranes]], [[Þorlákshöfn]], [[Hella, Iceland|Hella]], [[Selfoss (town)|Selfoss]] and [[Hvolsvöllur]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ljosleidarinn.is|title=Ljósleiðarinn|website=Ljósleiðarinn|access-date=2017-01-10}}</ref>
Over 90% of homes in Iceland have full fibre access,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ljósleiðarinn|url=https://www.ljosleidarinn.is/frettir/island-leidir-i-nytingu-ljosleidara-i-evropu/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-05-18|website=Ljósleiðarinn}}</ref> however only 82% of connections utilise the fibre connection mainly due to the fact that [[Síminn]], the incumbent telecommunications provider in Iceland, only began to offer services over Ljósleiðarinn's wholesale fibre network since 2021, after a long dispute over fibre access.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Síminn og Gagnaveitan semja eftir harðar deilur |url=https://www.frettabladid.is/markadurinn/siminn-og-gagnaveitan-semja-eftir-hardar-deilur/ |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=www.frettabladid.is |language=is}}</ref>


There are other smaller fibre networks run by local municipalities and companies, a major one being Tengir in the north east of Iceland providing a fibre network to [[Akureyri]] and surrounding regions offering up to >1&nbsp;Gbit/s speeds.
Ljósleiðarinn's full fibre network extends to 120.000+ homes [[Reykjavík]] and surrounding towns,<ref name=":0" /> allowing reaching 100% of homes in Reykjavík and surrounding area in 2016. GR also has 100% fiber coverage in smaller towns such as [[Reykjanesbær]],<ref name=":2" /> [[Akranes]], [[Þorlákshöfn]], [[Hella, Iceland|Hella]], [[Selfoss (town)|Selfoss]] and [[Hvolsvöllur]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ljosleidarinn.is|title=Ljósleiðarinn|website=Ljósleiðarinn|access-date=2017-01-10}}</ref> Ljósleiðarinn's network delivers speeds of 1Gbit/s to all customers.


=== Rural Access ===
There are other smaller fibre networks run by local municipalities and companies, a major one being Tengir in the north east of Iceland providing a fibre network to [[Akureyri]] and surrounding regions offering up to 1Gbit/s speeds.
The government has engaged in a programme called Ísland Ljóstengt running from 2016 to 2022 funding [[Fiber to the x|FTTH]] deployment to 5,500 rural locations. As of 2022, around 1,800 locations remain that only have [[Asymmetric digital subscriber line|ADSL]] service (lower than 10&nbsp;Mbit/s speed),<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.fjarskiptastofa.is/fjarskiptastofa/tolfraedi-og-gagnasafn/frettasafn/frett/Fr%C3%A9ttir/akvordun-um-markadsgreiningar-a-heildsolumorkudum-fyrir-heimtaugar-stadaradgang-med-fasttengingu-og-bitastraumstengingar-midlaegan-adgang-med-fasttengingu-fyrir-fjoldaframleiddar-vorur-2024-05-14 |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=www.fjarskiptastofa.is}}</ref> accounting for 1.3% of connections. Many rural towns in Iceland are dependent on VDSL and were out of the scope of previous funding as it only applied to farms and extra-urban locations.<ref>{{Cite web|date=1 June 2019|title=Ísland Ljóstengt|url=https://www.stjornarradid.is/verkefni/samgongur-og-fjarskipti/fjarskiptasjodur/island-ljostengt/|publisher=Stjórnarráð Íslands}}{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>


The Government of Iceland stated in 2024 that their goal is for 100% of homes and businesses to have access to full fibre internet by the year 2026, by issuing grants to telecom operators to upgrade to full fibre connections in rural towns where it is currently uneconomical to do so.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ljósleiðaravæðing landsins klárist innan þriggja ára |url=https://www.stjornarradid.is/efst-a-baugi/frettir/stok-frett/2024/07/02/Ljosleidaravaeding-landsins-klarist-innan-thriggja-ara/ |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=www.stjornarradid.is |language=is}}</ref>
The government has engaged in a programme called Ísland Ljóstengt running from 2016 to 2022. It funds [[Fiber to the x|FTTH]] deployment to 5,500 rural locations allowing this goal to be reached.<ref>{{Cite web|date=1 June 2019|title=Ísland Ljóstengt|url=https://www.stjornarradid.is/verkefni/samgongur-og-fjarskipti/fjarskiptasjodur/island-ljostengt/|publisher=Stjórnarráð Íslands}}</ref> As of 2022, around 2,000 locations remain that only have [[Asymmetric digital subscriber line|ADSL]] service (lower than 10Mb/s speed),<ref name=":5" /> accounting for 1.5% of connections. The Government of Iceland's goal is for 99% of homes and businesses to have access to at least 100Mbit/s speeds by the year 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=593/141 þál. (samhlj.): tólf ára fjarskiptaáætlun fyrir árin 2011--2022 |url=https://www.althingi.is/altext/141/s/0593.html |access-date=2019-06-09 |website=Alþingi |language=is}}</ref>


As of 2022 there are also 64,000 active [[Mobile broadband modem|data-only]] [[4G]]/[[5G]] subscribtions, mainly used for [[Holiday home|second homes]] and [[MiFi|Mi-Fi]] devices, as well as serving as an alternative to fixed-line DSL/fiber services.<ref name=":3" />
As of 2022 there are also 64,000 active [[Mobile broadband modem|data-only]] [[4G]]/[[5G]] subscriptions, mainly used for [[Holiday home|second homes]] and [[MiFi|Mi-Fi]] devices, as well as serving as an alternative to fixed-line DSL/fibre services.<ref name=":3" />


== Internet Service Providers ==
== Internet Service Providers ==
Internet service in Iceland is divided between the international providers, [[Internet service provider|national ISP]] and [[access network]] providers.
The main providers as of 2018 are: [[Síminn]], [[Vodafone Iceland]], [[Nova (telecommunications)|Nova]] and Hringdu.


=== International Providers ===
The telecoms market in Iceland has become increasingly diversified over the past 20 years since the privatisation of the state telecom and postal administration, currently offering services as [[Síminn]] and Míla hf. Many new providers use Ljósleiðarinn's full fibre network to offer 3 play services of Internet, TV and phone services. Ljósleiðarinn is a wholesale access provider and merely runs the infrastructure of the FTTH network and charges a flat fee of 2.999kr (around US$30)<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.ljosleidarinn.is/verdskra |title = Verðskrá|date = 2015-11-09}}</ref> per month to access the network. Internet services are then resold through telecommunications companies, the largest being [[Vodafone Iceland|Vodafone]]. Notably, [[Síminn]] refused to resell internet products through Ljósleiðarinn until as they operate their own network, Míla, which provides FTTC/VDSL2 services. In 2021, Síminn began to offer services over Ljósleiðrarinn's wholesale network.<ref name=":0" />
The only international providers are [[Farice|Farice ehf.]] and [[Tusass|Tusass A/S]] (as per the [[Submarine communications cable|subsea connections]] listed in the section below).


=== National ISPs ===
The ISP market share as of 2018 is divided as follows:<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=1 June 2019|title=Post and Telecom Administration of Iceland Statistic Book 2018.|url=https://www.pfs.is/library/Skrar/Tolfraedi/Tolfraediskyrslur-PFS/Tölfræðiskýrsla_%202018_meðFors%C3%ADðu.pdf|publisher=Post and Telecom Administration of Iceland}}</ref>
National ISPs contract the international bandwidth and manage services for the customer.

{| class="wikitable"
[[Síminn]]: 46.6%
|+Top 4 National ISPs

!Name
[[Vodafone Iceland|Vodafone]]: 33.6%
![[Broadband|Fixed-Internet]]
![[Internet Protocol television|Managed IPTV]]
![[Landline|Landline (VoIP)]]
!Market Share (2021)<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=1 June 2019 |title=Post and Telecom Administration of Iceland Statistic Book 2018. |url=https://www.pfs.is/library/Skrar/Tolfraedi/Tolfraediskyrslur-PFS/Tölfræðiskýrsla_%202018_meðFors%C3%ADðu.pdf |publisher=Post and Telecom Administration of Iceland}}</ref>
|-
|[[Síminn]]
|Yes
|Yes
|Yes
|45.4%
|-
|[[Vodafone Iceland|Vodafone]]
|Yes
|Yes
|Yes
|24.2%
|-
|[[Nova (Iceland)|NOVA]]
|Yes
|No
|No
|17.9%
|-
|Hringdu
|Yes
|No
|Yes
|10.1%
|}
Others ISPs constitute 2.4% of the market (Hrigiðan, Snerpa, Origo etc.).


=== Access Operators ===
[[Nova (telecommunications)|Nova]]: 9.7%
The following operators offer [[access network]]s. Míla operates a national fibre and copper access network ([[Incumbent local exchange carrier|incumbent]]). The others operate full fibre networks. Ljósleiðarinn is the second largest network, covering most towns in the southwest of the country. Other networks cover regional areas and municipal networks.


* [[Síminn|Míla]]
Hringdu: 7.7%
* [[Orkuveita Reykjavíkur|Ljósleiðarinn]]
* Tengir
* Snerpa
* Others (municipal networks etc.)


As of 2024, Neyðarlínan, the state-owned emergency communications operator, is the current universal service provider. Until 2024, the universal service provider was incumbent Míla ([[Síminn]]).<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |url=https://www.fjarskiptastofa.is/fjarskiptastofa/tolfraedi-og-gagnasafn/frettasafn/frett/Fr%C3%A9ttir/neydarlinan-ohf-utnefnd-sem-althjonustuveitandi-fjarskiptatenginga |access-date=2024-07-24 |website=www.fjarskiptastofa.is}}</ref>
Others: 2.4%


==International/Submarine connectivity==
==International/Submarine connectivity==
Iceland is currently connected with 5 [[submarine communications cable|submarine communications cable system]] to Europe and North America:<ref>[http://www.submarinecablemap.com/#/country/iceland Submarine Cable Map: Connected to Iceland], TeleGeography, 18 September 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2013.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.landsvirkjun.com/Media/international-data-connectivity-in-iceland-a-white-paper.pdf|title=Data Connectivity in Iceland a White Paper|last=Landsvirkun|date=2016}}</ref> Iceland has access total capacity of 168.2Tbit/s capacity as of 2023. According to Farice ehf., as of 2021, a total of 1.5Tb/s of capacity is currently being utilised for international bandwidth in Iceland.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Farice ehf. |title=Saga fyrirtækisins - um okkur - Farice - Tengir Ísland við umheiminn |url=https://farice.is/is/um-farice/saga-fyrirtaekisins/# |access-date=13 February 2022 |website=Farice ehf.}}</ref>
Iceland is currently connected with 5 [[submarine communications cable|submarine communications cable system]] to Europe and North America:<ref>[http://www.submarinecablemap.com/#/country/iceland Submarine Cable Map: Connected to Iceland], TeleGeography, 18 September 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2013.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.landsvirkjun.com/Media/international-data-connectivity-in-iceland-a-white-paper.pdf|title=Data Connectivity in Iceland a White Paper|last=Landsvirkun|date=2016|access-date=2019-08-25|archive-date=2019-08-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190825165253/https://www.landsvirkjun.com/Media/international-data-connectivity-in-iceland-a-white-paper.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Iceland has access total capacity of 168.2&nbsp;Tbit/s capacity as of 2023. According to Farice ehf., as of 2021, a total of 1.5&nbsp;Tbit/s of capacity is currently being utilised for international bandwidth in Iceland.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Farice ehf. |title=Saga fyrirtækisins - um okkur - Farice - Tengir Ísland við umheiminn |url=https://farice.is/is/um-farice/saga-fyrirtaekisins/# |access-date=13 February 2022 |website=Farice ehf.}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|+Submarine Cables connected to Iceland
|+Submarine Cables connected to Iceland
Line 74: Line 113:
|6
|6
|1,770&nbsp;km
|1,770&nbsp;km
|108Tb/s
|108 Tbit/s
|108Tb/s
|108 Tbit/s
|Active<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ný upplýsingahraðbraut |url=https://www.mbl.is/frettir/innlent/2023/03/02/ny_upplysingahradbraut_a_milli_islands_og_irlands/ |access-date=2023-03-03 |website=www.mbl.is |language=is}}</ref>
|Active<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ný upplýsingahraðbraut |url=https://www.mbl.is/frettir/innlent/2023/03/02/ny_upplysingahradbraut_a_milli_islands_og_irlands/ |access-date=2023-03-03 |website=www.mbl.is |language=is}}</ref>
|-
|-
Line 85: Line 124:
|4
|4
|2,304&nbsp;km
|2,304&nbsp;km
|5.12Tb/s
|5.12 Tbit/s
|36.4Tb/s
|36.4 Tbit/s
|Active
|Active
|-
|-
Line 96: Line 135:
|2
|2
|4,580&nbsp;km
|4,580&nbsp;km
|1.92Tb/s
|1.92 Tbit/s
|12.8Tb/s
|12.8 Tbit/s
|Active
|Active
|-
|-
Line 107: Line 146:
|2
|2
|1,205&nbsp;km
|1,205&nbsp;km
|720Gb/s
|720 Gbit/s
|11Tb/s
|11 Tbit/s
|Active
|Active
|-
|-
Line 118: Line 157:
|3
|3
|2,500&nbsp;km (European section)
|2,500&nbsp;km (European section)
|7.5Gb/s
|7.5 Gbit/s
|
|
|Out of regular service, used to connect oil platforms.
|Out of regular service, used to connect oil platforms.
Line 124: Line 163:
Most of Iceland's growth in international bandwidth is due to [[data center]] investment in the country, the domestic internet market is fairly saturated.
Most of Iceland's growth in international bandwidth is due to [[data center]] investment in the country, the domestic internet market is fairly saturated.


Iceland's first fiber submarine cable providing packet switching, [[CANTAT-3]], had an original capacity of 2 x 2.5 Gbit/s to [[Denmark]], [[Germany]], the [[Faroe Islands]] and [[Canada]]. It was notoriously unreliable, with an average of one cable cut per year. Satellite was the only backup at the time, until [[FARICE-1|FARICE]] was built in 2003. CANTAT-3 became obsolete in 2010 with the introduction on [[Danice|DANICE]] and is now out of normal use for internet traffic in Iceland. [[CANTAT-3]] is now operated by [[Føroya Tele]] for connecting oil platforms in the North Sea.
Iceland's first fibre submarine cable providing packet switching, [[CANTAT-3]], had an original capacity of 2 x 2.5&nbsp;Gbit/s to [[Denmark]], [[Germany]], the [[Faroe Islands]] and [[Canada]]. It was notoriously unreliable, with an average of one cable cut per year. Satellite was the only backup at the time, until [[FARICE-1|FARICE]] was built in 2003. CANTAT-3 became obsolete in 2010 with the introduction on [[Danice|DANICE]] and is now out of normal use for internet traffic in Iceland. [[CANTAT-3]] is now operated by [[Føroya Tele]] for connecting oil platforms in the North Sea.


The main provider of international capacity to Europe is [[Farice|Farice ehf.]] with [[Tusass A/S|Tusass]] providing direct services to Greenland and North America.
The main provider of international capacity to Europe is [[Farice|Farice ehf.]] with [[Tusass A/S|Tusass]] providing direct services to Greenland and North America.


The submarine cable capacities have been repeatedly upgraded over time as the demands of increased bandwidth use in Iceland, as end equipment technology has improved. Previously DANICE and FARICE operated with 300Gbit links and Greenland Connect with a 20Gbit link but were upgraded in 2014 to their current design capacity using coherent [[100 Gigabit Ethernet|100G]] wavelength and flex grid technology.
The submarine cable capacities have been repeatedly upgraded over time as the demands of increased bandwidth use in Iceland, as end equipment technology has improved. Previously DANICE and FARICE operated with 300 [[Data-rate units|Gbit/s]] links and Greenland Connect with a 20&nbsp;Gbit/s link but were upgraded in 2014 to their current design capacity using coherent [[100 Gigabit Ethernet|100G]] wavelength and flex grid technology.


Farice ehf. completed construction of the IRIS cable system at the end of 2022, extending from [[Þorlákshöfn]], Iceland to [[Galway]], Ireland. IRIS was laid during the summer of 2022 and became ready for service on the 1st March 2023. It consists of 6 fiber pairs, with a design capacity of 108Tb/s, more than doubling Iceland's current subsea capacity. IRIS gives Iceland a latency of 10ms to Ireland and will also connect Iceland more directly with [[Transatlantic communications cable|transatlantic]] capacity to the U.S. through Ireland.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Farice ehf. |title=Iris fréttir |url=https://farice.is/is/iris-frettir/ |website=Farice.is |access-date=13 February 2022}}</ref>
The IRIS cable system became ready for service on the 1 March 2023, extending from [[Þorlákshöfn]], Iceland to [[Galway]], Ireland. IRIS more than doubles Iceland's current subsea capacity and gives Iceland a latency of 10 ms to Ireland as well as connecting more directly with [[Transatlantic communications cable|transatlantic]] capacity to the U.S.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Farice ehf. |title=Iris fréttir |url=https://farice.is/is/iris-frettir/ |website=Farice.is |access-date=13 February 2022}}</ref>


=== International Latency ===
=== International Latency ===
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As Iceland is geographically situated in the [[Mid-Atlantic Ridge|mid-atlantic]], it has shorter ping times to locations to Europe than North America. Here are a few examples of nominal ping times from Iceland:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Network facts {{!}} Network |url=http://www.farice.is/network/network-performance/ |access-date=2022-04-07 |website=Farice |language=en}}</ref>
As Iceland is geographically situated in the [[Mid-Atlantic Ridge|mid-atlantic]], it has shorter ping times to locations to Europe than North America. Here are a few examples of nominal ping times from Iceland:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Network facts {{!}} Network |url=http://www.farice.is/network/network-performance/ |access-date=2022-04-07 |website=Farice |language=en}}</ref>


* [[Galway]]: 10ms (via IRIS)
* [[Galway]]: 10 ms (via IRIS)
* [[Glasgow]]: 13.0ms
* [[Glasgow]]: 13.0 ms
* [[Copenhagen]]: 14.9ms
* [[Copenhagen]]: 14.9 ms
* [[London]]: 18.5ms
* [[London]]: 18.5 ms
* [[Amsterdam]]: 17.8ms
* [[Amsterdam]]: 17.8 ms
* [[Budapest]]: 26.0ms
* [[Budapest]]: 26.0 ms
* [[New York City|New York]]: 40.6ms (via [[Greenland Connect]])
* [[New York City|New York]]: 40.6ms (via [[Greenland Connect]])
* [[Halifax, Nova Scotia|Halifax]]: 33.7ms (via Greenland Connect)
* [[Halifax, Nova Scotia|Halifax]]: 33.7ms (via Greenland Connect)


== Domestic Backbone ==
== Domestic Backbone ==
[[File:Iceland Fibre Network Map.png|thumb|243x243px|Map of fibre routes in Iceland (2021), excluding NATO fiber ring.]]
[[File:Iceland Fibre Network Map.png|thumb|243x243px|Map of fibre routes in Iceland (2021), excluding NATO fibre ring.]]
Iceland's domestic [[internet backbone]] is composed of many fibre routes, with [[Microwave transmission|microwave links]] serving the most isolated communities. Iceland's backbone is operated by two companies; Míla hf and Ljósleiðarinn (previously "Gagnaveita Reykjavíkur", majority owned by the [[Reykjavík|City of Reykjavík]]) Other companies also operate their own backbone networks, such as Orkufjarskipti (owned by electricity utilities [[Landsvirkjun]] and [[Landsnet]]).
Iceland's domestic [[internet backbone]] is composed of many fibre routes, with [[Microwave transmission|microwave links]] serving the most isolated communities. Iceland's backbone is operated by two companies; Míla hf and Ljósleiðarinn. Other companies also operate their own backbone networks, such as Orkufjarskipti (owned by electricity utilities [[Landsvirkjun]] and [[Landsnet]]).

The most historically critical part of Iceland's internet infrastructure is a fibre ring that circles the country, roughly following the route of Iceland's [[Route 1 (Iceland)|ring road]] (Route 1), passing through most towns and cities. It is still an important part of Iceland's internet backbone, but has been duplicated on most routes by private companies. It was constructed in 1989-1991 by the Icelandic Government and [[NATO]] to link radar stations of the [[Iceland Air Defence System]]. It consists of 8 fibres, 1 of which are for use by [[NATO]], 5 by Míla hf (previously owned by Síminn) and 2 leased to Ljósleiðarinn.


The most historically critical part of Iceland's internet infrastructure is a fibre ring that circles the country, roughly following the route of Iceland's [[Route 1 (Iceland)|ring road]] (Route 1), passing through most towns and cities. It is still an important part of Iceland's internet backbone, but has been duplicated on most routes by private companies. It was constructed in 1989-1991 by the Icelandic Government and [[NATO]] to link radar stations of the [[Iceland Air Defence System]]. It consists of 8 fibres, 1 of which are for use by [[NATO]], 5 by [[Síminn|Míla hf]] and 2 leased to Ljósleiðarinn.
Prior to 2022, two pairs were used by NATO and one by Vodafone Iceland. To increase competition in the telecom industry, one of the NATO pairs was leased out by competitive tender, which Ljósleiðarinn won.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Government of Iceland |date=February 2021 |title=Ljósleiðaramál (in Icelandic) |url=https://www.stjornarradid.is/library/04-Raduneytin/Utanrikisraduneytid/PDF-skjol/15.2.21_Starfshopur_ljosleidaramal_skilagrein_greinargerd_til_rhr_lokautgafa_uppsett.pdf}}</ref> In their aim to expand their network beyond the southwest into a national network, Ljósleiðarinn took over [[Vodafone Iceland]]'s national backbone as well as their 1 pair on the NATO fibre ring, giving them 2 pairs to utilise on the national ring. They plan to lay their own circular route around Iceland in the next few years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ljósleiðarinn |url=https://www.ljosleidarinn.is/ |access-date=2022-09-06 |website=Ljósleiðarinn}}</ref> This means Vodafone Iceland no longer operates its own backbone.


== National Educational and Research Network ==
== National Educational and Research Network ==
Universities and research institutions are connected by [[RHnet]], Iceland's [[National research and education network|national eductation and research network]] (NERN). It is connected to the wider Nordic educational network, [[NORDUnet]] and European educational network, [[GÉANT]]. The origins of Iceland's internet stem from this network through Hafrannsóknastofnun and in turn the [[University of Iceland]], first being connected in 1986.<ref name=":4" />
Universities and research institutions are connected by [[RHnet]], Iceland's [[National research and education network|national education and research network]] (NERN). It is connected to the wider Nordic educational network, [[NORDUnet]] and European educational network, [[GÉANT]]. The origins of Iceland's internet stem from this network through Hafrannsóknastofnun and in turn the [[University of Iceland]], first being connected in 1986.<ref name=":4" />


== Use ==
== Use ==
Internet access is widespread in Iceland and there has been rapid growth in use since the early 2000s. Data compiled by the [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]] (OECD) shows Iceland with:<ref>[http://www.oecd.org/document/54/0,3746,en_2649_33703_38690102_1_1_1_1,00.html "OECD Broadband Portal"], Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 13 April 2011</ref>
Internet access is widespread in Iceland and there has been rapid growth in use since the early 2000s. Data compiled by the [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]] (OECD) shows Iceland with:<ref>[http://www.oecd.org/document/54/0,3746,en_2649_33703_38690102_1_1_1_1,00.html "OECD Broadband Portal"], Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 13 April 2011</ref>
* 99.68% of Icelanders used in the internet in 2021.<ref name=":7" />
* 98.2% of households having broadband Internet access in 2016 (1st out of 34)<ref>{{Cite web|last=OECD|date=2017|title=Internet Users by age|url=http://statlinks.oecdcode.org/932017011p1g065.xlsx}}</ref>
* 99.5% of businesses using the Internet in 2009-2010 (2nd out of 31)
* 99.5% of businesses using the Internet in 2009-2010 (2nd out of 31)
''The Global Information Technology Report 2010–2011''<ref>[http://www.weforum.org/reports/global-information-technology-report-2010-2011-0?ol=1 ''The Global Information Technology Report 2010–2011''], Soumitra Dutta and Irene Mia (eds.), INSEAD and the World Economic Forum, 2011, 435 pp.</ref> by the [[World Economic Forum]] ranked Iceland:
''The Global Information Technology Report 2010–2011''<ref>[http://www.weforum.org/reports/global-information-technology-report-2010-2011-0?ol=1 ''The Global Information Technology Report 2010–2011''], Soumitra Dutta and Irene Mia (eds.), INSEAD and the World Economic Forum, 2011, 435 pp.</ref> by the [[World Economic Forum]] ranked Iceland:
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* 1st out of 137 in the number of secure Internet servers (1,711.3 servers per million population in 2009)
* 1st out of 137 in the number of secure Internet servers (1,711.3 servers per million population in 2009)
* 4th out of 138 in the extent of business Internet use (a score of 6.58 in 2009–2010, where 1 is not at all and 7 is extensively)
* 4th out of 138 in the extent of business Internet use (a score of 6.58 in 2009–2010, where 1 is not at all and 7 is extensively)
* 5th out of 138 in terms of international Internet bandwidth (626.8 Mbit/s per 10,000 population in 2009)
* 5th out of 138 in terms of international Internet bandwidth (626.8&nbsp;Mbit/s per 10,000 population in 2009)
* 12th out of 138 in terms of laws related to information and communication technology (a score of 5.46 in 2009–2010, where 1 is nonexistent and 7 is well developed)
* 12th out of 138 in terms of laws related to information and communication technology (a score of 5.46 in 2009–2010, where 1 is nonexistent and 7 is well developed)
* 25th out of 138 in terms of intellectual property protection (a score of 5.09 in 2009–2010, where 1 is very weak and 7 is very strong)
* 25th out of 138 in terms of intellectual property protection (a score of 5.09 in 2009–2010, where 1 is very weak and 7 is very strong)
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|2 Mbit/s
|2 Mbit/s
|[[United States|U.S.A]].
|[[United States|U.S.A]].
|5.952 Mb/s
|5.952 Mbit/s
|-
|-
|1997-06-23
|1997-06-23
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|48.178 Mbit/s
|48.178 Mbit/s
|}
|}
* In 1986 Iceland obtained a [[UUCP]] connection between the Marine Research Institute in Iceland to [[EUnet]] (European Unix Network) headquarters in [[Amsterdam]]. The connection provided [[e-mail]] and [[Usenet]] services. Bandwidth was somewhere between 300 and 1200 bits per second (bps).
* In 1986 Iceland obtained a [[UUCP]] connection between the Marine Research Institute in Iceland to [[EUnet]] (European Unix Network) headquarters in [[Amsterdam]]. The connection provided [[e-mail]] and [[Usenet]] services. Bandwidth was somewhere between 300 and 1200 bits per second (bit/s).
* In 1989 a connection to the Internet was established using [[TCP/IP|IP]] over [[X.25]] with [[NORDUnet]] in [[Denmark]] at 2400 bit/s.
* In 1989 a connection to the Internet was established using [[TCP/IP|IP]] over [[X.25]] with [[NORDUnet]] in [[Denmark]] at 2400 bit/s.
* In 1990 a leased line connection to [[NORDUnet]] in [[Stockholm]] operating at 9600 bit/s was established. This link was upgraded to operate at 56,000 bit/s in 1992, 128,000 bit/s in 1994, 256,000 bit/s and then 1,000,000 bit/s in 1995, and 1,984,000 in 1996.
* In 1990 a leased line connection to [[NORDUnet]] in [[Stockholm]] operating at 9600 bit/s was established. This link was upgraded to operate at 56,000 bit/s in 1992, 128,000 bit/s in 1994, 256,000 bit/s and then 1,000,000 bit/s in 1995, and 1,984,000 in 1996.
* In 1991 the [[NATO]] fibre ring was completed, serving as an important part of Iceland's domestic telecom/internet backbone.
* In 1991 the [[NATO]] fibre ring was completed, serving as an important part of Iceland's domestic telecom/internet backbone.
* In 1994 the first commercial Internet services, Midheimar ehf, opened with SLIP/PPP access giving people access to the web for the first time from their homes.
* In 1994 the first commercial Internet services, Midheimar ehf, opened with SLIP/PPP access giving people access to the web for the first time from their homes.
* In March 1997 ISnet (a collective term for the Icelandic segments of NORDUnet and EUnet) established a direct connection to [[Teleglobe]] in [[Montreal]], [[Canada]] at 9600 bit/s. to supplement the European connection. This line was moved to [[New York City]] and upgraded to 48,178,001 bit/s in September 1999.
* In March 1997 ISnet (a collective term for the Icelandic segments of NORDUnet and EUnet) established a direct connection to [[Teleglobe]] in [[Montreal]], [[Canada]] at 9600 bit/s. to supplement the European connection. This line was moved to [[New York City]] and upgraded to 48,178,001 bit/s in September 1999.
*1999 marked the first year ADSL services were available in Iceland.
*1999 marked the first year ADSL services were available in Iceland.
*Broadband internet access gained rapid popularity in Iceland due to the early use of [[Internet Protocol television|IPTV]] technologies in the early 2000s. [[Cable television|Cable]] and [[Satellite television|Satellite TV]] services are next to nonexistent and therefore the provision of TV through DSL or fibre was in high demand.
*In January 2004 the [[submarine communications cable|submarine communications fibre cable system]] [[FARICE-1]] was put into commercial operation with a design capacity of 720 Gbit/s and lit capacity of 20 Gbit/s (and in August 2013 upgraded to a design capacity of 11 Tbit/s and a lit capacity of 200 Gbit/s).<ref name="farice">[http://www.farice.is/about-us/company-history/ Farice: The background of the FARICE-1 cable]</ref>
*In January 2004 the [[submarine communications cable|submarine communications fibre cable system]] [[FARICE-1]] was put into commercial operation with a design capacity of 720&nbsp;Gbit/s and lit capacity of 20&nbsp;Gbit/s (and in August 2013 upgraded to a design capacity of 11&nbsp;Tbit/s and a lit capacity of 200&nbsp;Gbit/s).<ref name="farice">[http://www.farice.is/about-us/company-history/ Farice: The background of the FARICE-1 cable]</ref>
*2004 FTTH trials began of [[Orkuveita Reykjavíkur]] building a fibre optic network, operating through a subsidiary called Gagnveita Reykjavíkur (GR) with a 100Mbit/s connection.
*2004 FTTH trials began of [[Orkuveita Reykjavíkur]] building a fibre optic network, operating through a subsidiary called Gagnveita Reykjavíkur (GR) with a 100&nbsp;Mbit/s connection.
*In 2007, [[Seltjarnarnes]] became the world's first town where every citizen had access to [[fiber optics]].<ref>[http://www.idega.is/pages/vidskiptavinir/seltjarnarnes/?iw_language=en "Seltjarnarnes" page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913102215/http://www.idega.is/pages/vidskiptavinir/seltjarnarnes/?iw_language=en |date=2016-09-13 }} on the Idega web site</ref>
*In 2007, [[Seltjarnarnes]] became the world's first town where every citizen had access to [[fibre optics]].<ref>[http://www.idega.is/pages/vidskiptavinir/seltjarnarnes/?iw_language=en "Seltjarnarnes" page] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913102215/http://www.idega.is/pages/vidskiptavinir/seltjarnarnes/?iw_language=en |date=2016-09-13 }} on the Idega web site</ref>
*In 2008, xDSL use peaked in Iceland with 98% of connections.
*In 2008, xDSL use peaked in Iceland with 98% of connections.
* In September 2009 the submarine communications fibre cable [[DANICE]] was put into commercial operation with an original design capacity of 5120 Gbit/s (and later upgraded to a design capacity of at least 16 Terabit/s and a lit capacity of 200 Gbit/s). Additionally [[Greenland Connect]] as third cable was installed at the same time.<ref name="farice" />
* In September 2009 the submarine communications fibre cable [[DANICE]] was put into commercial operation with an original design capacity of 5120&nbsp;Gbit/s (and later upgraded to a design capacity of at least 16 Terabit/s and a lit capacity of 200&nbsp;Gbit/s). Additionally [[Greenland Connect]] as third cable was installed at the same time.<ref name="farice" />
*From 2009, VDSL services became active from Míla in Reykjavík and larger towns offering 50-100Mbit/s services.
*From 2009, VDSL services became active from Míla in Reykjavík and larger towns offering 50-100&nbsp;Mbit/s services.
*In October 2016, Ljósleiðarinn (Gagnveita Reykjavíkur) upgraded its network from 100Mbit to 1Gbit/s symmetric connections to all customers.
*In October 2016, Ljósleiðarinn (Gagnveita Reykjavíkur) upgraded its network from 100&nbsp;Mbit to 1&nbsp;Gbit/s symmetric connections to all customers.
*In 2018, full fibre connections surpassed xDSL use for the first time.<ref name=":1" />
*In 2018, full fibre connections surpassed xDSL use for the first time.<ref name=":1" />
*2018 marked the year that 100% of homes in the [[Reykjavík]] area had [[Fiber to the x|FTTH]] access.<ref name=":2" />
*2018 marked the year that 100% of homes in the [[Reykjavík]] area had [[Fiber to the x|FTTH]] access.<ref name=":2" />
*[[Síminn]], the incumbent telecommunications provider in Iceland, began to offer services over Ljósleiðarinn's wholesale fibre network in 2021, after a long dispute over fibre access.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Síminn og Gagnaveitan semja eftir harðar deilur |url=https://www.frettabladid.is/markadurinn/siminn-og-gagnaveitan-semja-eftir-hardar-deilur/ |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=www.frettabladid.is |language=is}}</ref>
*In 2022, [[Síminn]] completed the sale of its wholesale access and backbone network, Míla, to [[Ardian (company)|Ardian]].
*In 2022, [[Síminn]] completed the sale of its wholesale access and backbone network, Míla, to [[Ardian (company)|Ardian]].
*In 2022, to increase competition in the telecom industry, one of the NATO ring pairs was leased out by competitive tender to Ljósleiðarinn.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Government of Iceland |date=February 2021 |title=Ljósleiðaramál (in Icelandic) |url=https://www.stjornarradid.is/library/04-Raduneytin/Utanrikisraduneytid/PDF-skjol/15.2.21_Starfshopur_ljosleidaramal_skilagrein_greinargerd_til_rhr_lokautgafa_uppsett.pdf}}</ref>
*Also in 2022, [[Vodafone Iceland]] announced the sale of its backbone network to Ljósleiðarinn. Iceland's ISPs now do not operate any of their own physical access infrastructure.
*In 2022, Ljósleiðarinn took over [[Vodafone Iceland]]'s national backbone including their one pair on the NATO fibre ring, giving them two pairs to utilise on the national ring. They plan to lay their own circular route around Iceland in the years 2022–2025.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ljósleiðarinn |url=https://www.ljosleidarinn.is/ |access-date=2022-09-06 |website=Ljósleiðarinn}}</ref> This means Vodafone Iceland no longer operates its own backbone.
*In February 2023, [[SpaceX]]'s [[Starlink]] became available in Iceland.<ref>{{Cite tweet|number=1623671522819989504|user=SpaceX|title=Starlink is now available in Iceland|author-link=SpaceX|date=9 February 2023|access-date=13 March 2023}}</ref>
*In March 2023, the IRIS [[submarine cable]] system was ready for service, more than doubling Iceland's international bandwidth capacity with a new route to Ireland.
*In March 2023, the IRIS [[submarine cable]] system was ready for service, more than doubling Iceland's international bandwidth capacity with a new route to Ireland.
*In October 2023, both major access network operators, Míla and Ljósleiðarinn, began to offer 2.5, 5 and 10&nbsp;Gbit/s residential fibre connections.<ref name=":6" />
*In 2023, the last DOCSIS cable network in Iceland in [[Reykjanesbær]] was shut down and replaced by full fibre connections.
*In 2024, Míla, the incumbent operator, announced the closure of ADSL and VDSL connections, to be shut down on a rolling basis by 2028.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Niðurlagning koparheimtaugakerfis Mílu |url=https://www.mila.is/um-milu/frettasafn/nidurlagning-koparheimtaugakerfis-milu |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=Míla ehf |language=is}}</ref><ref name=":5" />
*In 2024, Neyðarlínan (state-owned emergency communications operator) took over from Míla as the universal service provider.<ref name=":8" />


==Censorship==
==Censorship==


[[Censorship]] is prohibited by the [[Constitution of Iceland|Icelandic Constitution]] and there is a strong tradition of protecting freedom of expression that extends to the use of the Internet.<ref>[http://en.rsf.org/islande-nouvel-article-18-06-2010,37771.html "New legislation to provide exemplary protection for freedom of information"], Reporters Without Borders, 21 June 2010</ref> This is mirrored by Iceland being rated the most free of the 70 countries in [[Freedom House|Freedom House's]] ''Freedom On the Net 2022 Report''at all.<ref name="FOTN-2017">{{cite web|date=|title=Freedom on the Net 2022|url=https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/2022-10/FOTN2022Digital.pdf|access-date=30 June 2023|website=Freedom House}}</ref>
[[Censorship]] is prohibited by the [[Constitution of Iceland|Icelandic Constitution]] and there is a strong tradition of protecting freedom of expression that extends to the use of the Internet.<ref>[http://en.rsf.org/islande-nouvel-article-18-06-2010,37771.html "New legislation to provide exemplary protection for freedom of information"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160318174351/https://en.rsf.org/islande-nouvel-article-18-06-2010,37771.html |date=2016-03-18 }}, Reporters Without Borders, 21 June 2010</ref> This is mirrored by Iceland being rated the most free of the 70 countries in [[Freedom House|Freedom House's]] ''Freedom On the Net 2022 Report''at all.<ref name="FOTN-2017">{{cite web|title=Freedom on the Net 2022|url=https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/2022-10/FOTN2022Digital.pdf|access-date=30 June 2023|website=Freedom House}}</ref>
However, questions about how best to protect children, fight terrorism, prevent libel, and protect the rights of [[copyright holder]]s are ongoing in Iceland as they are in much of the world.
However, questions about how best to protect children, fight terrorism, prevent libel, and protect the rights of [[copyright holder]]s are ongoing in Iceland as they are in much of the world.


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On 10 June 2009 the two major ISPs in Iceland, Vodafone Iceland and Iceland Telecom at the behest of SAFT (Save the Children Iceland) and other interest groups instated a [[null route]] on the website <code>ringulreid.org</code>, making it inaccessible to most commercial Internet users in Iceland.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2009/06/10/lokad_fyrir_adgang_ad_netsidu/ |title=Lokað fyrir aðgang að netsíðu | date=10 June 2009 |publisher=Ritstjórn Morgunblaðsins | location=Reykjavík, Iceland}}{{in lang|is}} English translation: [https://translate.google.com/translate?u=http://www.mbl.is/frettir/innlent/2009/06/10/lokad_fyrir_adgang_ad_netsidu/ "Blocking access to web site"]</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2009/06/10/siminn_lokar_a_sidu/ |title=Síminn lokar á síðu | date=10 June 2009 |publisher=Ritstjórn Morgunblaðsins | location=Reykjavík, Iceland}} {{in lang|is}} English translation: [https://translate.google.com/translate?u=http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2009/06/10/siminn_lokar_a_sidu/ "Getting close to a page"]</ref> Other members of the [[Reykjavik Internet Exchange]] did not institute the null route, but both Vodafone and Síminn blocked it at their Icelandic routers.
On 10 June 2009 the two major ISPs in Iceland, Vodafone Iceland and Iceland Telecom at the behest of SAFT (Save the Children Iceland) and other interest groups instated a [[null route]] on the website <code>ringulreid.org</code>, making it inaccessible to most commercial Internet users in Iceland.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2009/06/10/lokad_fyrir_adgang_ad_netsidu/ |title=Lokað fyrir aðgang að netsíðu | date=10 June 2009 |publisher=Ritstjórn Morgunblaðsins | location=Reykjavík, Iceland}}{{in lang|is}} English translation: [https://translate.google.com/translate?u=http://www.mbl.is/frettir/innlent/2009/06/10/lokad_fyrir_adgang_ad_netsidu/ "Blocking access to web site"]</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2009/06/10/siminn_lokar_a_sidu/ |title=Síminn lokar á síðu | date=10 June 2009 |publisher=Ritstjórn Morgunblaðsins | location=Reykjavík, Iceland}} {{in lang|is}} English translation: [https://translate.google.com/translate?u=http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2009/06/10/siminn_lokar_a_sidu/ "Getting close to a page"]</ref> Other members of the [[Reykjavik Internet Exchange]] did not institute the null route, but both Vodafone and Síminn blocked it at their Icelandic routers.


The <code>ringulreid.org</code> domain subsequently expired<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whois.net/whois/ringulreid.org|title=whois lookup for ringulreid.org}}</ref> and the site was taken down by its operator. But a similar site <code>slembingur.org</code> sprang up to replace it.
The <code>ringulreid.org</code> domain subsequently expired<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whois.net/whois/ringulreid.org|title=whois lookup for ringulreid.org}}{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and the site was taken down by its operator. But a similar site <code>slembingur.org</code> sprang up to replace it.


Both Vodafone Iceland<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lg.ogvodafone.is/lg.cgi?router=D01&query=trace&addr=83.99.152.251|title=Vodafone - Looking Glass Results for 83.99.152.251|access-date=2011-04-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722021921/http://lg.ogvodafone.is/lg.cgi?router=D01&query=trace&addr=83.99.152.251|archive-date=2011-07-22|url-status=dead}}</ref> and Síminn<ref>{{cite web|url=http://load.isholf.is/cgi-bin/looking-glass/lg.pl?addr=83.99.152.251&protocol=IPv4&query=ping&router=Internet%20core%20(Muli)|title=Síminn - Looking Glass Results for 83.99.152.251}}</ref> updated their blocks to null route <code>83.99.152.251</code>, the IP address <code>slembingur.org</code> resolves to.
Both Vodafone Iceland<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lg.ogvodafone.is/lg.cgi?router=D01&query=trace&addr=83.99.152.251|title=Vodafone - Looking Glass Results for 83.99.152.251|access-date=2011-04-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722021921/http://lg.ogvodafone.is/lg.cgi?router=D01&query=trace&addr=83.99.152.251|archive-date=2011-07-22|url-status=dead}}</ref> and Síminn<ref>{{cite web|url=http://load.isholf.is/cgi-bin/looking-glass/lg.pl?addr=83.99.152.251&protocol=IPv4&query=ping&router=Internet%20core%20(Muli)|title=Síminn - Looking Glass Results for 83.99.152.251|access-date=2011-04-28|archive-date=2011-07-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722021722/http://load.isholf.is/cgi-bin/looking-glass/lg.pl?addr=83.99.152.251&protocol=IPv4&query=ping&router=Internet%20core%20(Muli)|url-status=dead}}</ref> updated their blocks to null route <code>83.99.152.251</code>, the IP address <code>slembingur.org</code> resolves to.
<code>ringulreid.org</code> was a [[4chan]]-like image board in the [[Icelandic language]] which had been making the news for [[cyber-bullying]], [[child porn]] and similar material.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dv.is/frettir/2009/3/25/netnidingar-leggja-born-i-einelti/ |title=Netníðingar leggja börn í einelti] | date=25 March 2009 |publisher=Ritstjórn DV | location=Reykjavík, Iceland}} {{in lang|is}} English translation: [https://translate.google.com/translate?u=http://www.dv.is/frettir/2009/3/25/netnidingar-leggja-born-i-einelti/ "Netníðingar put children in bullying"]</ref> The administrators of the site had rejected these accusations, citing their strict policies of banning users who posted child pornography.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dv.is/frettir/2009/3/25/brugdist-skjott-vid-barnaklami/ |title=Brugðist skjótt við barnaklámi] | date=25 March 2009 |publisher=Ritstjórn DV | location=Reykjavík, Iceland}} {{in lang|is}} English translation: [https://translate.google.com/translate?u=http://www.dv.is/frettir/2009/3/25/brugdist-skjott-vid-barnaklami/ "Respond quickly to child pornography"]</ref> <code>ringulreid.org</code> had been set up after a similar site, <code>handahof.org</code>, had been voluntarily closed down by its operator on request of the Iceland Capital Police following their investigation into the matter.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dv.is/frettir/2008/2/13/logreglan-lokar-barnaklamsidu/ |title=Lögreglan lokar barnaklámsíðu | date=13 February 2008 |publisher=Ritstjórn DV | location=Reykjavík, Iceland}} {{in lang|is}} English translation: [https://translate.google.com/translate?u=http://www.dv.is/frettir/2008/2/13/logreglan-lokar-barnaklamsidu/ "Police block child pornography site"]</ref>
<code>ringulreid.org</code> was a [[4chan]]-like image board in the [[Icelandic language]] which had been making the news for [[cyber-bullying]], [[child porn]] and similar material.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dv.is/frettir/2009/3/25/netnidingar-leggja-born-i-einelti/ |title=Netníðingar leggja börn í einelti |date=25 March 2009 |publisher=Ritstjórn DV |location=Reykjavík, Iceland |access-date=28 April 2011 |archive-date=22 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722020916/http://www.dv.is/frettir/2009/3/25/netnidingar-leggja-born-i-einelti/ |url-status=dead }} {{in lang|is}} English translation: [https://translate.google.com/translate?u=http://www.dv.is/frettir/2009/3/25/netnidingar-leggja-born-i-einelti/ "Netníðingar put children in bullying"]</ref> The administrators of the site had rejected these accusations, citing their strict policies of banning users who posted child pornography.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dv.is/frettir/2009/3/25/brugdist-skjott-vid-barnaklami/ |title=Brugðist skjótt við barnaklámi] |date=25 March 2009 |publisher=Ritstjórn DV |location=Reykjavík, Iceland |access-date=28 April 2011 |archive-date=22 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722021027/http://www.dv.is/frettir/2009/3/25/brugdist-skjott-vid-barnaklami/ |url-status=dead }} {{in lang|is}} English translation: [https://translate.google.com/translate?u=http://www.dv.is/frettir/2009/3/25/brugdist-skjott-vid-barnaklami/ "Respond quickly to child pornography"]</ref> <code>ringulreid.org</code> had been set up after a similar site, <code>handahof.org</code>, had been voluntarily closed down by its operator on request of the Iceland Capital Police following their investigation into the matter.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dv.is/frettir/2008/2/13/logreglan-lokar-barnaklamsidu/ |title=Lögreglan lokar barnaklámsíðu |date=13 February 2008 |publisher=Ritstjórn DV |location=Reykjavík, Iceland |access-date=28 April 2011 |archive-date=22 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722021105/http://www.dv.is/frettir/2008/2/13/logreglan-lokar-barnaklamsidu/ |url-status=dead }} {{in lang|is}} English translation: [https://translate.google.com/translate?u=http://www.dv.is/frettir/2008/2/13/logreglan-lokar-barnaklamsidu/ "Police block child pornography site"]</ref>


The block against <code>ringulreid.org</code> was instated at the behest of the [[National Police of Iceland]], Iceland Capital Police, the Child Protection Authority of Iceland (part of the Iceland Ministry of Social Affairs), Save the Children Iceland (SAFT) (a private organization) and various other private and government groups, which made public statements encouraging all internet service providers in the country to block access to the site.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dv.is/frettir/2009/6/10/vofafone-lokar-ringulreid/ |title=Vodafone lokar á ringulreið | date=10 June 2009 |publisher=Ritstjórn DV | location=Reykjavík, Iceland}} {{in lang|is}} English translation: [https://translate.google.com/translate?u=http://www.dv.is/frettir/2009/6/10/vofafone-lokar-ringulreid/ "Vodafone closes in Confusion"]</ref>
The block against <code>ringulreid.org</code> was instated at the behest of the [[National Police of Iceland]], Iceland Capital Police, the Child Protection Authority of Iceland (part of the Iceland Ministry of Social Affairs), Save the Children Iceland (SAFT) (a private organization) and various other private and government groups, which made public statements encouraging all internet service providers in the country to block access to the site.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dv.is/frettir/2009/6/10/vofafone-lokar-ringulreid/ |title=Vodafone lokar á ringulreið |date=10 June 2009 |publisher=Ritstjórn DV |location=Reykjavík, Iceland |access-date=28 April 2011 |archive-date=22 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722021116/http://www.dv.is/frettir/2009/6/10/vofafone-lokar-ringulreid/ |url-status=dead }} {{in lang|is}} English translation: [https://translate.google.com/translate?u=http://www.dv.is/frettir/2009/6/10/vofafone-lokar-ringulreid/ "Vodafone closes in Confusion"]</ref>


Thus the censorship in Iceland is not explicitly government mandated, but implemented voluntarily by private corporations in response to pressure from government and private institutions. Vodafone conducted a legal review to investigate whether it was within its rights to restrict access to the website, and after finding that they were within their rights instituted the block.
Thus the censorship in Iceland is not explicitly government mandated, but implemented voluntarily by private corporations in response to pressure from government and private institutions. Vodafone conducted a legal review to investigate whether it was within its rights to restrict access to the website, and after finding that they were within their rights instituted the block.
Line 336: Line 381:
In a statement two days after the initial block Hrannar Pétursson, the press secretary for Vodafone, indicated that it was not on Vodafone's agenda to implement a more general censoring mechanism, but as ringulreid.org was an "exaggerated example of such a case" Vodafone considered the act justifiable.<ref name="ekki_a_stefnu">{{cite news |url=http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2009/06/12/ekki_a_stefnuskranni_ad_hefja_ritskodun_a_netinu/ |title=Ekki á stefnuskránni að hefja ritskoðun á netinu | date=12 June 2009 |publisher=Ritstjórn Morgunblaðsins | location=Reykjavík, Iceland}} {{in lang|is}} English translation: [https://translate.google.com/translate?u=http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2009/06/12/ekki_a_stefnuskranni_ad_hefja_ritskodun_a_netinu/ "Not planning to start online censorship"]</ref> His colleague Margrét Stefánsdóttir at Síminn echoed those remarks, saying that Síminn would never close a page on its own initiative, but when faced with such serious requests they were compelled to act.<ref name="ekki_a_stefnu"/>
In a statement two days after the initial block Hrannar Pétursson, the press secretary for Vodafone, indicated that it was not on Vodafone's agenda to implement a more general censoring mechanism, but as ringulreid.org was an "exaggerated example of such a case" Vodafone considered the act justifiable.<ref name="ekki_a_stefnu">{{cite news |url=http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2009/06/12/ekki_a_stefnuskranni_ad_hefja_ritskodun_a_netinu/ |title=Ekki á stefnuskránni að hefja ritskoðun á netinu | date=12 June 2009 |publisher=Ritstjórn Morgunblaðsins | location=Reykjavík, Iceland}} {{in lang|is}} English translation: [https://translate.google.com/translate?u=http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/2009/06/12/ekki_a_stefnuskranni_ad_hefja_ritskodun_a_netinu/ "Not planning to start online censorship"]</ref> His colleague Margrét Stefánsdóttir at Síminn echoed those remarks, saying that Síminn would never close a page on its own initiative, but when faced with such serious requests they were compelled to act.<ref name="ekki_a_stefnu"/>


Since <code>slembingur.org</code> is hosted on a [[shared web hosting service]], and the block takes the form of a null route any other sites that happen to share the same IP address are also blocked. As of 30 September 2010 these were the private E-Mail gateway <code>ns1.bighost.lv</code>, the [[cosmetics]] manufacturer <code>saulesfabrika.com</code>, the construction company <code>timbersolution.com</code>, the printing house <code>veiters.com</code> and the boilerplate site <code>ventus.lv</code>.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://revip.info/lookup/83.99.152.251|title=IP info for 83.99.152.251}}</ref> As of 8 February 2011, <code>slembingur.org</code> had changed IP addresses and is therefore no longer blocked by Vodafone. The null route is still in place, so collateral damage is the only result from this incident.
Since <code>slembingur.org</code> is hosted on a [[shared web hosting service]], and the block takes the form of a null route any other sites that happen to share the same IP address are also blocked. As of 30 September 2010 these were the private E-Mail gateway <code>ns1.bighost.lv</code>, the [[cosmetics]] manufacturer <code>saulesfabrika.com</code>, the construction company <code>timbersolution.com</code>, the printing house <code>veiters.com</code> and the boilerplate site <code>ventus.lv</code>.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://revip.info/lookup/83.99.152.251|archive-url=https://archive.today/20110721231941/http://revip.info/lookup/83.99.152.251|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 21, 2011|title=IP info for 83.99.152.251}}</ref> As of 8 February 2011, <code>slembingur.org</code> had changed IP addresses and is therefore no longer blocked by Vodafone. The null route is still in place, so collateral damage is the only result from this incident.


==See also==
==See also==

Latest revision as of 02:57, 8 December 2024

Iceland is among the top countries in the world in terms of Internet deployment and use. 99.68% of Icelanders used the internet in 2021.[1]

As of June 2024, Iceland is listed 6th in the world for fixed access download speeds according to Speedtest.net at 242.03 Mbit/s.[2] Today, 93% citizens are connected to full-fibre (FTTH) networks,[3] with at least 1 Gbit/s speeds available to all and 10 Gbit/s available to most.[4] Iceland has 168.2 Tbit/s of submarine bandwidth capacity through 4 cables. 97% of Icelanders used an electronic ID in 2022 to identify themselves online.[5]

Míla (formerly part of Síminn, former incumbent) operates the largest national trunk network, copper and GPON (FTTH) fibre access network. Ljósleiðarinn, originally a fully municipal owned network, operates a competing national trunk and bitsteam access PTP fibre network. Smaller local ISPs operate locally. Neyðarlínan (112), is the current government-owned universal service provider. Síminn, Vodafone, NOVA and Hringdu are the Iargest ISPs in Iceland.

ISNIC is the Icelandic domain registry for its country-code top level domain, .is. It is a member of the RIPE NCC, Europe's regional Internet registry. ISNIC also operate Iceland's only open-policy internet exchange point, the Reykjavík Internet Exchange (RIX). CERT-IS manages Iceland's national cyber-security.

Access technology

[edit]

Full-fibre is the most common connection medium (FTTH/FTTB, through both PTP and GPON). Some rural towns are still reliant on VDSL connections. A minority of rural connections are by provided by ADSL and fixed wireless in the most remote of locations.

At the end of 2023, for residential connections, as per the Electronic Communications Office of Iceland:[6]

  • 88.7% of broadband provided using optical fibre (FTTH).
  • 10.3% of the broadband provided by VDSL (FTTC).
  • 0.9% of broadband provided by ADSL.[3]
  • 0.2% of access is provided by fixed wireless.

In terms of advertised download speeds:

  • 0.2% of connections are over 2500 Mbit/s
  • 48.1% of connections are between 1000 and 2500 Mbit/s.
  • 25 % of connections are between 500 and 1000 Mbit/s.
  • 17.4% of connections are between 100 and 500 Mbit/s.
  • 9.2% of connections are between 10 and 100 Mbit/s.
  • Less than 0.1% of connections are below 10 Mbit/s.[6]

Over 93% of homes in Iceland have full fibre access.[3] Míla offers a XG-PON/GPON network with a minimum flat rate delivered at 1 Gbit/s, and additional access tiers of 2.5, 5 and 10 Gbit/s. Ljósleiðarinn's network is based on a PTP wholesale interconnect model, with a minimum flat rate delivered at 1 Gbit/s and an additional charge for 10 Gbit/s service.[7] Ljósleiðarinn's full fibre network extends to 100% of the Reykjavík capital area as of 2016.[8] Míla operates full-fibre access networks in most urban areas of Iceland but does not have as complete coverage of the Reykjavík area. Ljósleiðarinn also has 100% fibre coverage in smaller towns such as Reykjanesbær,[4] Akranes, Þorlákshöfn, Hella, Selfoss and Hvolsvöllur.[9]

There are other smaller fibre networks run by local municipalities and companies, a major one being Tengir in the north east of Iceland providing a fibre network to Akureyri and surrounding regions offering up to >1 Gbit/s speeds.

Rural Access

[edit]

The government has engaged in a programme called Ísland Ljóstengt running from 2016 to 2022 funding FTTH deployment to 5,500 rural locations. As of 2022, around 1,800 locations remain that only have ADSL service (lower than 10 Mbit/s speed),[10] accounting for 1.3% of connections. Many rural towns in Iceland are dependent on VDSL and were out of the scope of previous funding as it only applied to farms and extra-urban locations.[11]

The Government of Iceland stated in 2024 that their goal is for 100% of homes and businesses to have access to full fibre internet by the year 2026, by issuing grants to telecom operators to upgrade to full fibre connections in rural towns where it is currently uneconomical to do so.[12]

As of 2022 there are also 64,000 active data-only 4G/5G subscriptions, mainly used for second homes and Mi-Fi devices, as well as serving as an alternative to fixed-line DSL/fibre services.[6]

Internet Service Providers

[edit]

Internet service in Iceland is divided between the international providers, national ISP and access network providers.

International Providers

[edit]

The only international providers are Farice ehf. and Tusass A/S (as per the subsea connections listed in the section below).

National ISPs

[edit]

National ISPs contract the international bandwidth and manage services for the customer.

Top 4 National ISPs
Name Fixed-Internet Managed IPTV Landline (VoIP) Market Share (2021)[13]
Síminn Yes Yes Yes 45.4%
Vodafone Yes Yes Yes 24.2%
NOVA Yes No No 17.9%
Hringdu Yes No Yes 10.1%

Others ISPs constitute 2.4% of the market (Hrigiðan, Snerpa, Origo etc.).

Access Operators

[edit]

The following operators offer access networks. Míla operates a national fibre and copper access network (incumbent). The others operate full fibre networks. Ljósleiðarinn is the second largest network, covering most towns in the southwest of the country. Other networks cover regional areas and municipal networks.

As of 2024, Neyðarlínan, the state-owned emergency communications operator, is the current universal service provider. Until 2024, the universal service provider was incumbent Míla (Síminn).[14]

International/Submarine connectivity

[edit]

Iceland is currently connected with 5 submarine communications cable system to Europe and North America:[15][16] Iceland has access total capacity of 168.2 Tbit/s capacity as of 2023. According to Farice ehf., as of 2021, a total of 1.5 Tbit/s of capacity is currently being utilised for international bandwidth in Iceland.[17]

Submarine Cables connected to Iceland
Name Year Launched Operator Landing point, Iceland External Landing Point No. of fibre pairs Distance Original Design Capacity Current Design Capacity Status
IRIS 2023 Farice ehf. Þorlákshöfn, Iceland Galway, Ireland 6 1,770 km 108 Tbit/s 108 Tbit/s Active[18]
DANICE 2009 Farice ehf. Landeyjasandur, Iceland Blaabjerg, Denmark 4 2,304 km 5.12 Tbit/s 36.4 Tbit/s Active
Greenland Connect 2009 Tusass A/S Landeyjasandur, Iceland Qaqortoq, Greenland; Nuuk, Greenland; Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada 2 4,580 km 1.92 Tbit/s 12.8 Tbit/s Active
FARICE 2004 Farice ehf. Seyðisfjörður, Iceland Funningsfjørður, Faroe Islands and Dunnet Bay, Scotland. 2 1,205 km 720 Gbit/s 11 Tbit/s Active
CANTAT-3 1994 Føroya Tele P/f Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland Pennant Point, Nova Scotia, Canada (defunct); Tjørnuvík, Faroe Islands; Redcar, North Yorkshire(defunct), UK; Blaabjerg, Denmark; Sylt, Germany; Valdemar Oil Platforms 3 2,500 km (European section) 7.5 Gbit/s Out of regular service, used to connect oil platforms.

Most of Iceland's growth in international bandwidth is due to data center investment in the country, the domestic internet market is fairly saturated.

Iceland's first fibre submarine cable providing packet switching, CANTAT-3, had an original capacity of 2 x 2.5 Gbit/s to Denmark, Germany, the Faroe Islands and Canada. It was notoriously unreliable, with an average of one cable cut per year. Satellite was the only backup at the time, until FARICE was built in 2003. CANTAT-3 became obsolete in 2010 with the introduction on DANICE and is now out of normal use for internet traffic in Iceland. CANTAT-3 is now operated by Føroya Tele for connecting oil platforms in the North Sea.

The main provider of international capacity to Europe is Farice ehf. with Tusass providing direct services to Greenland and North America.

The submarine cable capacities have been repeatedly upgraded over time as the demands of increased bandwidth use in Iceland, as end equipment technology has improved. Previously DANICE and FARICE operated with 300 Gbit/s links and Greenland Connect with a 20 Gbit/s link but were upgraded in 2014 to their current design capacity using coherent 100G wavelength and flex grid technology.

The IRIS cable system became ready for service on the 1 March 2023, extending from Þorlákshöfn, Iceland to Galway, Ireland. IRIS more than doubles Iceland's current subsea capacity and gives Iceland a latency of 10 ms to Ireland as well as connecting more directly with transatlantic capacity to the U.S.[19]

International Latency

[edit]
Landing station in Landeyjar, terminating the DANICE and Greenland Connect cables.

As Iceland is geographically situated in the mid-atlantic, it has shorter ping times to locations to Europe than North America. Here are a few examples of nominal ping times from Iceland:[20]

Domestic Backbone

[edit]
Map of fibre routes in Iceland (2021), excluding NATO fibre ring.

Iceland's domestic internet backbone is composed of many fibre routes, with microwave links serving the most isolated communities. Iceland's backbone is operated by two companies; Míla hf and Ljósleiðarinn. Other companies also operate their own backbone networks, such as Orkufjarskipti (owned by electricity utilities Landsvirkjun and Landsnet).

The most historically critical part of Iceland's internet infrastructure is a fibre ring that circles the country, roughly following the route of Iceland's ring road (Route 1), passing through most towns and cities. It is still an important part of Iceland's internet backbone, but has been duplicated on most routes by private companies. It was constructed in 1989-1991 by the Icelandic Government and NATO to link radar stations of the Iceland Air Defence System. It consists of 8 fibres, 1 of which are for use by NATO, 5 by Míla hf and 2 leased to Ljósleiðarinn.

National Educational and Research Network

[edit]

Universities and research institutions are connected by RHnet, Iceland's national education and research network (NERN). It is connected to the wider Nordic educational network, NORDUnet and European educational network, GÉANT. The origins of Iceland's internet stem from this network through Hafrannsóknastofnun and in turn the University of Iceland, first being connected in 1986.[21]

Use

[edit]

Internet access is widespread in Iceland and there has been rapid growth in use since the early 2000s. Data compiled by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shows Iceland with:[22]

  • 99.68% of Icelanders used in the internet in 2021.[1]
  • 99.5% of businesses using the Internet in 2009-2010 (2nd out of 31)

The Global Information Technology Report 2010–2011[23] by the World Economic Forum ranked Iceland:

  • 1st out of 138 in terms of Internet users (93.5% of the population used the Internet in 2009)
  • 1st out of 138 in the use of virtual social networks (a score of 6.8 in 2009–2010, where 1 is not at all and 7 is widely)
  • 1st out of 138 in terms of Internet access in schools (a score of 6.76 in 2009–2010, where 1 is very limited and 7 is extensive)
  • 1st out of 138 in accessibility of digital content (a score of 6.62 in 2009–2010, where 1 is not accessible at all and 7 is widely accessible)
  • 1st out of 137 in the number of secure Internet servers (1,711.3 servers per million population in 2009)
  • 4th out of 138 in the extent of business Internet use (a score of 6.58 in 2009–2010, where 1 is not at all and 7 is extensively)
  • 5th out of 138 in terms of international Internet bandwidth (626.8 Mbit/s per 10,000 population in 2009)
  • 12th out of 138 in terms of laws related to information and communication technology (a score of 5.46 in 2009–2010, where 1 is nonexistent and 7 is well developed)
  • 25th out of 138 in terms of intellectual property protection (a score of 5.09 in 2009–2010, where 1 is very weak and 7 is very strong)
  • 35th out of 107 in the use of unlicensed software (an estimated 49% of software was unlicensed in 2009)
  • 45th out of 138 in terms of freedom of the press (a score of 5.76 in 2009–2010, where 1 is totally restricted and 7 is completely free)

History

[edit]

Iceland's first connection to the internet was in 1986 through Hafrannsóknastofnun to Amsterdam, eventually expanding to the University of Iceland and eventually becoming ISnet (now Internet á Íslandi hf)., which in turn became ISNIC, the manager of the ".is" domain. The development of Iceland's internet per ISnet, are listed in the table below:[21][24]

Year Connection Type Medium Bandwidth Endpoint Total Int. Bandwidth
1986 to 1989 UUCP Satellite 300-1200 bit/s Amsterdam 300-1200 bit/s
1989-07-21 IP over X.25 Satellite 2400 bit/s Denmark 2400 bit/s
1990-07-24 Leased Line Satellite 9.6 kbit/s Stockholm 9.6 kbit/s
1992-05-07 Leased Line Satellite 56 kbit/s Stockholm 56 kbit/s
1994-05-17 Leased Line Satellite 128 kbit/s Stockholm 128 kbit/s
1995-03-13 Leased Line Satellite 256 kbit/s Stockholm 256 kbit/s
1995-09-01 Leased Line CANTAT-3 1 Mbit/s Stockholm 1 Mbit/s
1996-05-09 Leased Line CANTAT-3 2 Mbit/s Stockholm 2 Mbit/s
1997-03-14 Leased Line CANTAT-3 2 Mbit/s U.S.A. 5.952 Mbit/s
1997-06-23 Leased Line CANTAT-3 4 Mbit/s U.S.A 3.968 Mbit/s
1998-03-05 Leased Line CANTAT-3 6 Mbit/s U.S.A 7.936 Mbit/s
1998-11-06 Leased Line CANTAT-3 8 Mbit/s U.S.A. 9.92 Mbit/s
1998-11-18 Leased Line CANTAT-3 4 Mbit/s Stockholm 11.904 Mbit/s
1999-03-24 Leased Line CANTAT-3 10 Mbit/s U.S.A. 13.888 Mbit/s
1999-09-10 Leased Line CANTAT-3 45 Mbit/s U.S.A. 48.178 Mbit/s
  • In 1986 Iceland obtained a UUCP connection between the Marine Research Institute in Iceland to EUnet (European Unix Network) headquarters in Amsterdam. The connection provided e-mail and Usenet services. Bandwidth was somewhere between 300 and 1200 bits per second (bit/s).
  • In 1989 a connection to the Internet was established using IP over X.25 with NORDUnet in Denmark at 2400 bit/s.
  • In 1990 a leased line connection to NORDUnet in Stockholm operating at 9600 bit/s was established. This link was upgraded to operate at 56,000 bit/s in 1992, 128,000 bit/s in 1994, 256,000 bit/s and then 1,000,000 bit/s in 1995, and 1,984,000 in 1996.
  • In 1991 the NATO fibre ring was completed, serving as an important part of Iceland's domestic telecom/internet backbone.
  • In 1994 the first commercial Internet services, Midheimar ehf, opened with SLIP/PPP access giving people access to the web for the first time from their homes.
  • In March 1997 ISnet (a collective term for the Icelandic segments of NORDUnet and EUnet) established a direct connection to Teleglobe in Montreal, Canada at 9600 bit/s. to supplement the European connection. This line was moved to New York City and upgraded to 48,178,001 bit/s in September 1999.
  • 1999 marked the first year ADSL services were available in Iceland.
  • Broadband internet access gained rapid popularity in Iceland due to the early use of IPTV technologies in the early 2000s. Cable and Satellite TV services are next to nonexistent and therefore the provision of TV through DSL or fibre was in high demand.
  • In January 2004 the submarine communications fibre cable system FARICE-1 was put into commercial operation with a design capacity of 720 Gbit/s and lit capacity of 20 Gbit/s (and in August 2013 upgraded to a design capacity of 11 Tbit/s and a lit capacity of 200 Gbit/s).[25]
  • 2004 FTTH trials began of Orkuveita Reykjavíkur building a fibre optic network, operating through a subsidiary called Gagnveita Reykjavíkur (GR) with a 100 Mbit/s connection.
  • In 2007, Seltjarnarnes became the world's first town where every citizen had access to fibre optics.[26]
  • In 2008, xDSL use peaked in Iceland with 98% of connections.
  • In September 2009 the submarine communications fibre cable DANICE was put into commercial operation with an original design capacity of 5120 Gbit/s (and later upgraded to a design capacity of at least 16 Terabit/s and a lit capacity of 200 Gbit/s). Additionally Greenland Connect as third cable was installed at the same time.[25]
  • From 2009, VDSL services became active from Míla in Reykjavík and larger towns offering 50-100 Mbit/s services.
  • In October 2016, Ljósleiðarinn (Gagnveita Reykjavíkur) upgraded its network from 100 Mbit to 1 Gbit/s symmetric connections to all customers.
  • In 2018, full fibre connections surpassed xDSL use for the first time.[13]
  • 2018 marked the year that 100% of homes in the Reykjavík area had FTTH access.[4]
  • Síminn, the incumbent telecommunications provider in Iceland, began to offer services over Ljósleiðarinn's wholesale fibre network in 2021, after a long dispute over fibre access.[27]
  • In 2022, Síminn completed the sale of its wholesale access and backbone network, Míla, to Ardian.
  • In 2022, to increase competition in the telecom industry, one of the NATO ring pairs was leased out by competitive tender to Ljósleiðarinn.[28]
  • In 2022, Ljósleiðarinn took over Vodafone Iceland's national backbone including their one pair on the NATO fibre ring, giving them two pairs to utilise on the national ring. They plan to lay their own circular route around Iceland in the years 2022–2025.[29] This means Vodafone Iceland no longer operates its own backbone.
  • In February 2023, SpaceX's Starlink became available in Iceland.[30]
  • In March 2023, the IRIS submarine cable system was ready for service, more than doubling Iceland's international bandwidth capacity with a new route to Ireland.
  • In October 2023, both major access network operators, Míla and Ljósleiðarinn, began to offer 2.5, 5 and 10 Gbit/s residential fibre connections.[7]
  • In 2023, the last DOCSIS cable network in Iceland in Reykjanesbær was shut down and replaced by full fibre connections.
  • In 2024, Míla, the incumbent operator, announced the closure of ADSL and VDSL connections, to be shut down on a rolling basis by 2028.[31][3]
  • In 2024, Neyðarlínan (state-owned emergency communications operator) took over from Míla as the universal service provider.[14]

Censorship

[edit]

Censorship is prohibited by the Icelandic Constitution and there is a strong tradition of protecting freedom of expression that extends to the use of the Internet.[32] This is mirrored by Iceland being rated the most free of the 70 countries in Freedom House's Freedom On the Net 2022 Reportat all.[33] However, questions about how best to protect children, fight terrorism, prevent libel, and protect the rights of copyright holders are ongoing in Iceland as they are in much of the world.

The five Nordic countries—Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland—are central players in the European battle between file sharers, rights holders, and Internet service providers (ISPs). While each country determines its own destiny, the presence of the European Union (EU) is felt in all legal controversies and court cases. Iceland, while not a member of the EU, is part of the European Economic Area (EEA) and has agreed to enact legislation similar to that passed in the EU in areas such as consumer protection and business law.[34]

Internet service providers in Iceland use filters to block Web sites distributing child pornography. Iceland's ISPs in cooperation with Barnaheill—Save the Children Iceland participate in the International Association of Internet Hotlines (INHOPE) project. Suspicious links are reported by organizations and the general public and passed on to relevant authorities for verification.

In 2012 and 2013 Ögmundur Jónasson, Minister of Interior, proposed two bills to the Icelandic parliament that would limit Icelander's access to the Internet. The first proposed limitations on gambling[35] and the second on pornography.[36][37] Neither bill was passed by the Icelandic parliament and a new government has since been formed following the parliamentary election held on 27 April 2013.[38]

History

[edit]

On 10 June 2009 the two major ISPs in Iceland, Vodafone Iceland and Iceland Telecom at the behest of SAFT (Save the Children Iceland) and other interest groups instated a null route on the website ringulreid.org, making it inaccessible to most commercial Internet users in Iceland.[39][40] Other members of the Reykjavik Internet Exchange did not institute the null route, but both Vodafone and Síminn blocked it at their Icelandic routers.

The ringulreid.org domain subsequently expired[41] and the site was taken down by its operator. But a similar site slembingur.org sprang up to replace it.

Both Vodafone Iceland[42] and Síminn[43] updated their blocks to null route 83.99.152.251, the IP address slembingur.org resolves to. ringulreid.org was a 4chan-like image board in the Icelandic language which had been making the news for cyber-bullying, child porn and similar material.[44] The administrators of the site had rejected these accusations, citing their strict policies of banning users who posted child pornography.[45] ringulreid.org had been set up after a similar site, handahof.org, had been voluntarily closed down by its operator on request of the Iceland Capital Police following their investigation into the matter.[46]

The block against ringulreid.org was instated at the behest of the National Police of Iceland, Iceland Capital Police, the Child Protection Authority of Iceland (part of the Iceland Ministry of Social Affairs), Save the Children Iceland (SAFT) (a private organization) and various other private and government groups, which made public statements encouraging all internet service providers in the country to block access to the site.[47]

Thus the censorship in Iceland is not explicitly government mandated, but implemented voluntarily by private corporations in response to pressure from government and private institutions. Vodafone conducted a legal review to investigate whether it was within its rights to restrict access to the website, and after finding that they were within their rights instituted the block.

In a statement two days after the initial block Hrannar Pétursson, the press secretary for Vodafone, indicated that it was not on Vodafone's agenda to implement a more general censoring mechanism, but as ringulreid.org was an "exaggerated example of such a case" Vodafone considered the act justifiable.[48] His colleague Margrét Stefánsdóttir at Síminn echoed those remarks, saying that Síminn would never close a page on its own initiative, but when faced with such serious requests they were compelled to act.[48]

Since slembingur.org is hosted on a shared web hosting service, and the block takes the form of a null route any other sites that happen to share the same IP address are also blocked. As of 30 September 2010 these were the private E-Mail gateway ns1.bighost.lv, the cosmetics manufacturer saulesfabrika.com, the construction company timbersolution.com, the printing house veiters.com and the boilerplate site ventus.lv.[49] As of 8 February 2011, slembingur.org had changed IP addresses and is therefore no longer blocked by Vodafone. The null route is still in place, so collateral damage is the only result from this incident.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "World Bank Open Data". World Bank Open Data. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
  2. ^ "Iceland's Mobile and Broadband Internet Speeds". Speedtest Global Index. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  3. ^ a b c d Fjarskiptastofa. "Markaðsgreining á heildsölumörkuðum fyrir staðaraðgang með fasttengingu og miðlægan aðgang með fasttengingu fyrir fjöldaframleiddar vörur".
  4. ^ a b c "Ljósleiðarinn er á leiðinni til Reykjanesbæjar". Ljósleiðarinn (in Icelandic). 2020-04-15. Retrieved 2021-10-23.
  5. ^ Auðkennisappið, rafræn skilríki - Tengjum ríkið 2022, 29 September 2022, retrieved 2023-06-15. 3:20 minute mark.
  6. ^ a b c Fjarskiptastofa. "Tölfræðaskýrsla 2022".
  7. ^ a b "Þurfum við allan þennan hraða?". www.mbl.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2023-10-20.
  8. ^ "Iceland number one country worldwide in homes connected to fiber". Genexis. 2016-12-15. Retrieved 2017-01-10.
  9. ^ "Ljósleiðarinn". Ljósleiðarinn. Retrieved 2017-01-10.
  10. ^ www.fjarskiptastofa.is https://www.fjarskiptastofa.is/fjarskiptastofa/tolfraedi-og-gagnasafn/frettasafn/frett/Fr%C3%A9ttir/akvordun-um-markadsgreiningar-a-heildsolumorkudum-fyrir-heimtaugar-stadaradgang-med-fasttengingu-og-bitastraumstengingar-midlaegan-adgang-med-fasttengingu-fyrir-fjoldaframleiddar-vorur-2024-05-14. Retrieved 2024-07-23. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. ^ "Ísland Ljóstengt". Stjórnarráð Íslands. 1 June 2019.[permanent dead link]
  12. ^ "Ljósleiðaravæðing landsins klárist innan þriggja ára". www.stjornarradid.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  13. ^ a b "Post and Telecom Administration of Iceland Statistic Book 2018" (PDF). Post and Telecom Administration of Iceland. 1 June 2019.
  14. ^ a b www.fjarskiptastofa.is https://www.fjarskiptastofa.is/fjarskiptastofa/tolfraedi-og-gagnasafn/frettasafn/frett/Fr%C3%A9ttir/neydarlinan-ohf-utnefnd-sem-althjonustuveitandi-fjarskiptatenginga. Retrieved 2024-07-24. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. ^ Submarine Cable Map: Connected to Iceland, TeleGeography, 18 September 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
  16. ^ Landsvirkun (2016). "Data Connectivity in Iceland a White Paper" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-08-25. Retrieved 2019-08-25.
  17. ^ Farice ehf. "Saga fyrirtækisins - um okkur - Farice - Tengir Ísland við umheiminn". Farice ehf. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  18. ^ "Ný upplýsingahraðbraut". www.mbl.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2023-03-03.
  19. ^ Farice ehf. "Iris fréttir". Farice.is. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  20. ^ "Network facts | Network". Farice. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  21. ^ a b "Internet Diffusion: Iceland", Cathy Newman, Kogod School of Business, American University, Washington, D.C.
  22. ^ "OECD Broadband Portal", Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 13 April 2011
  23. ^ The Global Information Technology Report 2010–2011, Soumitra Dutta and Irene Mia (eds.), INSEAD and the World Economic Forum, 2011, 435 pp.
  24. ^ "þróun sambands ISnet við útlönd". wayback.vefsafn.is. Archived from the original on 2002-05-14. Retrieved 2022-04-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  25. ^ a b Farice: The background of the FARICE-1 cable
  26. ^ "Seltjarnarnes" page Archived 2016-09-13 at the Wayback Machine on the Idega web site
  27. ^ "Síminn og Gagnaveitan semja eftir harðar deilur". www.frettabladid.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2022-04-08.
  28. ^ Government of Iceland (February 2021). "Ljósleiðaramál (in Icelandic)" (PDF).
  29. ^ "Ljósleiðarinn". Ljósleiðarinn. Retrieved 2022-09-06.
  30. ^ @SpaceX (9 February 2023). "Starlink is now available in Iceland" (Tweet). Retrieved 13 March 2023 – via Twitter.
  31. ^ "Niðurlagning koparheimtaugakerfis Mílu". Míla ehf (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  32. ^ "New legislation to provide exemplary protection for freedom of information" Archived 2016-03-18 at the Wayback Machine, Reporters Without Borders, 21 June 2010
  33. ^ "Freedom on the Net 2022" (PDF). Freedom House. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  34. ^ "ONI Regional Overview: Nordic Countries", OpenNet Initiative, March 2010
  35. ^ "Vill banna happdrætti á netinu" (in Icelandic), English translation: "Wants to ban gambling online", RÚV: Icelandic National Radio, 18 October 2012
  36. ^ "Iceland seeks internet pornography ban", Associated Press, The Guardian, 25 February 2013
  37. ^ "Iceland's porn ban 'conflicts with the idea of a free society', say critics", Jemima Kiss, The Guardian, 28 February 2013
  38. ^ "Iceland campaigns to restrict internet porn", Alexandra Topping, The Guardian (Reykjavik), 26 May 2013
  39. ^ "Lokað fyrir aðgang að netsíðu". Reykjavík, Iceland: Ritstjórn Morgunblaðsins. 10 June 2009.(in Icelandic) English translation: "Blocking access to web site"
  40. ^ "Síminn lokar á síðu". Reykjavík, Iceland: Ritstjórn Morgunblaðsins. 10 June 2009. (in Icelandic) English translation: "Getting close to a page"
  41. ^ "whois lookup for ringulreid.org".[permanent dead link]
  42. ^ "Vodafone - Looking Glass Results for 83.99.152.251". Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2011-04-28.
  43. ^ "Síminn - Looking Glass Results for 83.99.152.251". Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2011-04-28.
  44. ^ "Netníðingar leggja börn í einelti". Reykjavík, Iceland: Ritstjórn DV. 25 March 2009. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2011. (in Icelandic) English translation: "Netníðingar put children in bullying"
  45. ^ "Brugðist skjótt við barnaklámi]". Reykjavík, Iceland: Ritstjórn DV. 25 March 2009. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2011. (in Icelandic) English translation: "Respond quickly to child pornography"
  46. ^ "Lögreglan lokar barnaklámsíðu". Reykjavík, Iceland: Ritstjórn DV. 13 February 2008. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2011. (in Icelandic) English translation: "Police block child pornography site"
  47. ^ "Vodafone lokar á ringulreið". Reykjavík, Iceland: Ritstjórn DV. 10 June 2009. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2011. (in Icelandic) English translation: "Vodafone closes in Confusion"
  48. ^ a b "Ekki á stefnuskránni að hefja ritskoðun á netinu". Reykjavík, Iceland: Ritstjórn Morgunblaðsins. 12 June 2009. (in Icelandic) English translation: "Not planning to start online censorship"
  49. ^ "IP info for 83.99.152.251". Archived from the original on July 21, 2011.