Why infrastructure, not apps, will define the next digital economy
The next chapter of the digital economy will not be driven by viral trends or breakthrough platforms. It will be shaped by the systems beneath them. One of the most important – yet least visible – is 10G broadband.
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While 5G grabs headlines for mobile connectivity, 10G delivers symmetrical speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second to homes and businesses. This is more than just a technical upgrade. It provides the rock-solid speed and capacity needed for the next generation of data-heavy technologies: AI, immersive learning, quantum computing, and beyond.
We are witnessing this shift unfold in real time. Mobile networks still dominate public conversation, but fixed broadband infrastructure like 10G is becoming critical. Sectors such as education, healthcare, and manufacturing increasingly depend on the reliability and speed that only robust fixed networks can deliver.
However, progress is uneven. Some countries are advancing swiftly, while others still rely on 3G. Without a coordinated and inclusive rollout, 10G risks reinforcing digital inequality rather than addressing it.
There is also a wider geopolitical context. The United States is investing heavily in cloud infrastructure and AI. China is exporting fiber networks and digital hardware to countries across the Global South. The European Union is anchoring its digital strategy in privacy, user rights, and interoperability. Meanwhile, countries like Japan, Germany, and South Korea are prioritizing broadband and satellite internet to enhance national autonomy.
These aren't just different technologies. They reflect different governance models, and the greater the divergence, the higher the risk of fragmentation. Emerging economies may find themselves caught between incompatible standards, suppliers, and systems. That limits their ability to build independent, resilient digital economies.
To support more informed infrastructure decisions, the Digital Cooperation Organization's Digital Economy Navigator was designed to provide governments with a diagnostic tool to assess the maturity of their digital economy and pinpoint infrastructure and policy gaps. One of the most persistent barriers it identifies is inadequate digital connectivity – a foundational barrier to meaningful digital participation. Without targeted investment, especially in underserved regions, these gaps will only grow, widening the global digital divide.
Infrastructure decisions also carry long-term consequences. One is environmental. 10G and the data centers that support it are energy-intensive. Without a commitment to green design, renewable energy, and circular systems, we risk undermining the very sustainability goals this infrastructure is meant to support.
Another is affordability. If 10G is limited to urban centers, rural schools, clinics and businesses will be left behind. Digital investment must be inclusive, or it risks reinforcing the very divides it claims to fix.
We need a shared approach. Governments, private companies, and international organizations must align around open technical standards, strong regulatory frameworks, environmental safeguards, and data protections. This is not about charity. It's about long-term digital resilience.
10G has the potential to power the most transformative technologies of our time. But speed alone does not guarantee progress. The infrastructure must be designed with inclusion and sustainability in mind. Otherwise, we risk replicating the same inequalities and inefficiencies we set out to solve.
Digital infrastructure has moved from the background to the foreground. The decisions we make now, about how and where we build, will shape the digital economy for years to come.
We have a narrow window get this right. Let's make it work for everyone.
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