The Director-General's foreword

Two projects of major importance were completed in 2005. Since the Radio Frequencies profit area introduced its Licensing database, RAHAS, it has now become possible to handle radio transmitter licenses using electronic and automated methods. The Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority (FICORA) was the first communications regulator within the European Union to analyse the functionality of the communications markets.

The ever-growing number of information security threats and breaches has kept the authority and the CERT group, which provides a 24-hour service, busy. The importance of information security and privacy protection in electronic communications is highlighted by the strong shift to IP-based solutions in all information networks.

FICORA launched a project which aims to outline the development of the sector and society by interviewing specialists, who will also be asked how they think FICORA's role will change by the end of the decade.

Competition in the mobile communications market has become more intense and the price level of phone calls in Finland was the lowest in Europe. The Authority promoted the emergence of an agreement on termination charges made by operators. As a result, the interconnection fees that operators charge one another were reduced.