Tech Waves in the Faroe Islands

When Faroese need to update their address, register their car, check their pharmacy description, transfer their bills, or pay their taxes, they can do it from their smartphone or computer.

In the last decade the Faroe Islands have become a highly digitalised country and have developed digital strategies for citizens, industries and institutions. In addition to that, numerous Faroese tech companies have emerged both locally and internationally and are developing complex IT systems. 

Internet & Phone Signal Everywhere

An advanced telecommunications network in the Faroe Islands matches or exceeds in coverage and internet speed anything available in metropolitan areas across the world. High-speed internet connections extend across the entire country to even most remote islands, and vessels have mobile coverage up to 70 nautical miles offshore.

Powered by two leading telecom companies, Faroese Telecom and Nema, they ensure broadband connectivity on every island. With fully operational 5G and 4G networks spanning the entire country, visitors can enjoy lightning-fast internet speeds and uninterrupted connectivity throughout their journey. 

Digital Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands have their very own digital service system for citizens, the industry, and the public sector. The e-government project called Digital Faroe Islands (Talgildu Føroyar) was established in 2015 and has built a secure, user-friendly digital framework that allows citizens to access their health information, public services and personal data.

The digital framework also enables multiple actors from the private sector (banks, telephone, and insurance companies), the public sector (education, health care, social services), and local authorities and services (municipalities, elder care, the electricity company) to provide various digital services. 

The overall framework stands out as an exceptional solution, tailored to Faroese circumstances.It is developed using familiar and well-tested technology and systems. The solution has been developed by Faroese IT companies and is hosted in the Faroe Islands.

Citizens and businesses can seamlessly access the service portal called “Vangin”, using the unique digital signature solution “Samleikin”. The digital signature is so-called “single sign-on” (SSO) and can also be used to access other digital services and systems. 

For instance, it facilitates access to the Faroese digital driving license and ID card through the dedicated app, “Skjáttan”, also developed by Digital Faroe Islands.

The National Digitalisation Programme of the Faroe Islands already has 45.000 users which approximately is 83% of the Faroese population.

IT Education in the Faroe Islands

IT is deeply ingrained in the Faroese educational system across various levels. The University of the Faroe Islands, Fróðskaparsetur Føroya, provides numerous IT programs and educational offerings tailored to the specific needs of the Faroese society.

These programs are designed to equip students for successful careers within the Faroe Islands as well as abroad. With local access to IT education, the Faroese IT industry is positioned for significant further advancement.