At the end of 2017, the Ministerial Committee on Economic Policy decided to build a new type of public authority communications service in Finland, which will be operated by Suomen Erillisverkot Oy. The service was later renamed Virve 2. The transition of public authorities to broadband communications was identified as a significant change, as it was believed to improve the accuracy of situational awareness and facilitate a rapid response by the authorities in various types of accidents and disruptions, for example.

When the project started, it was estimated that Virve 2 would be implemented gradually by 2025. After the legislative amendments, procurement processes, construction and testing, we are pleased to say that all key Virve 2 services have achieved approval for deployment in accordance with the Act on the Operation of the Government Security Network. The terminal device service, group video service and group voice service received approval during the year. The connection services and Virve 2 Tutka, which measures the strength of the network and the quality of the service, had been processed already before. As a rule, Virve 2 services are implemented in accordance with the basic information security requirements and the requirements for the elevated level of preparedness.

The number of users of the Virve service continues to grow. The number of Tetra subscribers remained stable, but the number of broadband subscribers increased. Virve 2 broadband subscribers already amount to one fifth of the number of old Virve subscribers. Growth is expected to continue to accelerate in the coming years, as users should switch to using primarily Virve 2 services over the next three years. Approximately half of the broadband subscribers use the group speech service, i.e. they use the same speech groups as other Virve users. The other half of the broadband subscribers use other critical data applications of Erillisverkot or specific industries on their devices.

The maintenance of the old Tetra network was continued as planned by virtualising some of the key components of the network. Virtualisation of exchanges saves energy and space costs and makes network maintenance more flexible. The network reforms will also enable a smooth transition from circuit-switched group voice communications to versatile IP-based communication solutions. The user base of the public authority radio network has become established, but in 2025, a permanent licence for the use of Virve was also granted to 21 new organisations. A larger increase in Virve’s customer pricing was implemented at the beginning of the year due to the cuts in the Virve pricing subsidy granted to Erillisverkot by the state. However, the level of subsidy has been set for at least the following year, meaning that there are is no similar pressure to increase the pricing in 2026.

Erillisverkot operates as a high contingency network operator for the customers of the public safety network (Tuve) by producing network and infrastructure services in accordance with the Act on the Operation of the Government Security Network (10/2015). The business is based on established and efficient operating models and processes. These help to ensure operations in normal conditions, during disruptions in normal conditions and in emergency conditions. The 10th anniversary of the handover of the public safety network was celebrated on 28 February 2025.

In information system services, the focus has been on the assessment of compliance of the information processing environment. System migrations from the previous environment to the new environment continued in 2025. The deployment of the online information system progressed systematically, and its use expanded significantly towards the end of the year.

Network and technology development continued according to the long-term plan. The development programme addresses the growing capacity needs of our customers and improves the quality, contingency and security of services. The geographical coverage of the service platform was developed to the extent and within the schedule agreed with the customers.

Erillisverkot participates in the development of quantum-secure telecommunications solutions for future needs. We participate in the NaQCI.fi project, which implements the EU EuroQCI initiative (European Quantum Communication Infrastructure).

The properties business of Erillisverkot and the services related to the renting and maintenance of underground colocation centres and business premises are managed by Leijonaverkot, a subsidiary of Erillisverkot. The total area of the premises it manages is 80,000 m², and the premises are located across Finland.

Underground colocation centres are the core of Leijonaverkot’s property portfolio. The colocation centres house telecommunications production, data centres and premises as well as the infrastructure serving these. Certified services, duplicated systems and continuous testing ensure business continuity and security. Particular attention has been paid to the energy efficiency and zero-emission operation of the properties. Investments to develop these continued.

Leijonaverkot’s customer base continued to expand. One of the most important reasons is the security situation, which has prompted companies and authorities to prepare even more carefully for the future. Companies are aware of the need to ensure the continuity of their critical operations under secure conditions. This is particularly reflected in the increased demand for carefully secured facilities that we can offer to both personnel and ICT systems. Spatial investments related to safety and contingency planning have become a key part of the strategies of companies and authorities.

The company’s office buildings are also special properties where particular attention has been paid to security.

Production development proceeded as planned, with particular emphasis on improving energy efficiency, continuity management, physical security and building automation. More attention was also paid to the security of the data processing environment.

The Porin Leijona property owned by Leijonaverkot was awarded Rakennustieto’s environmental declaration at the beginning of the year. This is an independent third-party audit that demonstrates that the building, which has undergone a major renovation over several years, is environmentally sustainable and in line with sustainable development. Environmental considerations were included in the planning of the renovation from the very beginning, and the building was designed to comply with Rakennustieto’s three-star environmental classification.

In the secure cloud and data centre services business, the provision of the secure cloud service in cooperation with Fujitsu Finland became an established part of operational activities. Significant developments have been made in the secure cloud service and its production environment with regard to compliance and ensuring the security of the service. The fixed-term connection decision for the secure cloud security network operations was extended in spring 2025.

The technical implementation of the container platform connected to the secure cloud was successfully updated and modified with the support of our partners. In telecommunications services, the year’s focus was on lifecycle updates of customer connection devices and enabling a flexible connection method. Data centre services completed a significant construction project during the year, and a new, high-level data centre was brought into customer use.

In 2025, Krivat’s technology renewal progressed to the actual implementation phase. A consortium formed by Solita and Patria Aviation was selected in a tendering process to implement the renewal. Krivat’s end users have been heard from the beginning of the renewal, and feedback has been collected in various workshops, surveys and user interviews. Feedback from users has provided an excellent basis for the renewal.

For Krivat, the most significant weather event of the year was the summer storm Ulla in July.

Through our subsidiary, Johtotieto Oy, we have offered location information and joint display services for land, air and submarine cables and pipes nationally for over 35 years already. Through our operations, we prevent damage to the society’s critical infrastructure and its misuse. Critical examination of the background and purpose of the person requesting information and a preliminary investigation of the subject of the request are part of our professional competence in Johtotieto. Many different actions are carried out in the background before delivering the infrastructure information to the person requesting the information. This work requires diverse professional skills from the personnel of Johtotieto.

The number of requests for information on the location of cables and pipes was higher than in the previous year. One obvious cause of the increase in the number of these events was the intense construction of fibre optics around Finland. The government’s austerity measures or the low level of investment by companies did not noticeably affect the number of requests for information.

We updated the contingency plan taking into account the tighter focus on safety policy. Our website also received a new service platform, and also the visual look and functionalities were improved.

The growth in the number of customers and the use of our electronic services continued.

In joint display operations, we continued to developed the field operations and, at the same time, specified the information system further with regard to new activities and services. The core purpose of the joint display activities is to display cables or pipes at the information request site at once. Our operations are the best solution for all parties, both economically and ecologically. We have been offering this service to network operators for more than ten years.

Looking at 2025 more broadly, the world continued to be geopolitically very volatile, and the predictability of the future was challenging also for Johtotieto.

International cooperation in critical communications is important for a small state such as Finland. Finland conducts international advocacy and expert work in four areas:

1. information exchange and advocacy forums of authorities;
2. international projects;
3. standardisation of mobile technology;
4. interest groups in the field of critical communications.

Erillisverkot actively participates in cooperation with other countries in order to obtain critical communications services and products that are suitable for Finland’s needs and circumstances.

Through international cooperation, we aim to promote the conformity of government communication solutions across countries and ensure the cost-effectiveness of cross-border technological solutions. Our cooperation is focused on the Nordic countries, Europe and other reliable Western countries.

The Board of Directors of Erillisverkot set four strategic goals for the company for the coming years, one of which is to increase the international dimension.

As part of the organisational reform of Erillisverkot following the autumn change negotiations, the largest units, i.e. Customers and Services, were centralised into the new Customers, Services and Contingency Department. Customer accounts are managed centrally, and the strategic focus of the operations is “Impactful services”. The Customers, Services and Contingency Department also operates and manages the customer service and Virve’s main use services.

Erillisverkot conducted an annual customer experience survey in September and October among 433 respondents. Response rate increased significantly from 2024, when 309 respondents gave their responses.

The Net Promoter Score (cNPS) reached an all-time record of 49 points (35 in 2024). Compared to the previous year, the customers’ willingness to recommend increased by 14 points, the number of detractors decreased significantly and the number of promoters increased by 8%, now reaching 58%.

This was an excellent result. For 2026, we have drawn up an action plan to maintain this very good level of cNPS.