The influence of our digital infrastructure: More important than you think

The Dutch digital infrastructure is often taken for granted. This is because, in practice, we can rely on it so well. As a result, we don’t always realise how significant the societal importance of digital infrastructure actually is. In a highly digitised society, we simply cannot do without high-quality and reliable connectivity.

Societal value of digital infrastructure

Besides the direct economic benefits, digital infrastructure plays a crucial role in broader societal themes and challenges. The high-quality, reliable, and secure digital infrastructure facilitates innovative and advanced business processes and services in various sectors.

Sectoral impact:

• Healthcare: Virtual consultations, immediate data exchange, and future autonomous treatments are made possible by digital infrastructure.
• Agricultural sector: Precision farming, robotics, and large-scale data exchange contribute to more sustainable farming practices.
• Environment and safety: Monitoring of air and water quality and secure data exchange through Internet of Things (IoT) technologies.
• Residential areas: Smart energy grids and ‘smart home’ applications minimise energy consumption and optimise the use of renewable energy.
• Remote working and studying: Thanks to stable and fast connectivity, people can work and study remotely without any issues, which was crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The role of dark fibre

Dark fibre, or unused optical fibre, plays a fundamental role within the digital infrastructure. It offers numerous benefits that are crucial for modern society, especially for governments dealing with digital transformation, cybersecurity, and privacy protection.

Benefits of Dark Fibre:

• Unlimited bandwidth: Dark fibre provides unlimited bandwidth, essential for processing large amounts of data generated by governments.
• Complete control: With dark fibre, organisations can build and manage their own networks. This gives them the freedom to make strategic choices about the design, management, and security of the network.
• Stability and privacy: A 100% private network means that connections can be managed in a way that meets specific needs while maintaining the highest levels of stability and security.
• Security of sensitive data: Dark fibre offers an uninterrupted, exclusive connection, crucial for protecting sensitive information of citizens and businesses.

Digital infrastructure forms the backbone of our modern digital economy. Although often invisible to the end user, it is a complex and essential pillar that ensures we have access to digital services anytime and anywhere. Dark fibre plays a crucial role in this by offering unparalleled bandwidth, control, stability, and security. It is essential that we continue to invest in and focus on further developing our digital infrastructure to continue realising these benefits.

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