Executive Summary
On 27 May 2026, the Swiss Federal Council opened consultations on amendments to the Telecommunications Act (FMG) to better protect telecommunications infrastructure and its services from cyber threats. The proposal responds to increasing cyberattacks such as malware distribution, DDoS attacks and hacking, as well as the tense geopolitical situation. Planned measures include strengthening resilience through supplier diversification, enabling the Federal Council to ban equipment from problematic suppliers, and technical measures against telephone and internet fraud. Additionally, network operations centers of Swisscom, Salt, Sunrise and full-MVNO providers should be operated exclusively in Switzerland.
Persons
- Federal Council (Swiss Government)
Topics
- Cybersecurity
- Telecommunications Infrastructure
- Geopolitical Risks
- Telecommunications
Clarus Lead
The legislative initiative addresses a critical timing problem: security gaps in telecommunications networks endanger not only telecommunications itself, but also other critical infrastructure such as power grids and hospitals. The proposal for supplier diversification and the ban on equipment from geopolitically risky countries signals a shift towards strategic infrastructure autonomy – relevant for decision-makers in industry and politics given supply chain uncertainties.
Detailed Summary
The Federal Council proposes multi-layered protective measures. At the legislative level, telecommunications service providers should be required to source their equipment from various suppliers, thereby reducing their dependence on single vendors. In the event of geopolitical escalation, the Federal Council gains the right to ban equipment from suppliers that pose a security risk or are under the control of foreign states that represent a geopolitical risk to Switzerland.
To combat telephone and internet fraud, the Federal Office of Police (fedpol) and the Federal Office of Cybersecurity (BACS) should be able to block suspicious telephone numbers and domain names. For emergency call communication, technical system leadership is introduced to prevent outages in reaching police, fire brigades and rescue services.
At the ordinance level, further measures are anchored: Swisscom, Salt, Sunrise and full-MVNO providers must operate their network operations centers and security operations centers exclusively in Switzerland. Manufacturers of telecommunications systems are subject to conformity checks of their infrastructure components. Measures against "spoofing" (abusive use of telephone numbers) and restrictions on the forwarding of telephone numbers by service providers are intended to curb cybercrime.
Key Statements
- Federal Council opens consultation on Telecommunications Act amendments against cyber threats
- Supplier diversification and ban on problematic equipment to reduce geopolitical dependency risks
- National operations centers and fraud prevention through number blocking strengthen system resilience
Critical Questions
Evidence: What data on the frequency and damage caused by cyberattacks on Swiss telecommunications networks underlie the proposal, and is this publicly available?
Conflicts of Interest: To what extent do Swiss telecommunications companies benefit from supplier diversification requirements through increased market power or cost reduction?
Causality: Is it proven that network operations centers operated exclusively in Switzerland measurably increase cybersecurity, or are there alternative security models?
Feasibility: How are technical measures such as number blocking by fedpol/BACS protected against false positives and abuse potential?
Geopolitical Demarcation: By what objective criteria is it determined whether a supplier or state poses a "geopolitical risk" to Switzerland?
Cost-Benefit: What economic burdens arise for telecom providers through diversification and national operations centers, and how are these compensated?
Source Directory
Primary Source: Federal Council – State Visit Poland / Telecommunications Infrastructure Cybersecurity – https://www.news.admin.ch/de/newnsb/WroUA_Ja2VJMm07vcarBL
Verification Status: ✓ 27.05.2026
This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial Responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-Check: 27.05.2026