The keys to the new digital infrastructure ecosystem

Did you know that high-speed connectivity will provide stability to economic growth, unlock ecosystems and support faster digitisation of key sectors such as energy, utilities, healthcare, transport and agriculture? It will also transform rural areas.

We discussed all this yesterday with several of the leaders in the digital infrastructure sector.

The World Economic Forum estimates that 70% of the value to be created in the next decade will be based on digital business models. And the reality is that the Covid crisis has led to an increase in demand for immediate connectivity, which has been reflected in exponential traffic and consumption by the B2C and B2B market.

What should the ideal digital infrastructure look like to meet this increased demand for immediate connectivity? In our view, it must ensure five fundamental values:

1. It must be a secure infrastructure (cybersecurity as a critical element).
2. It must ensure proper data regulation.
3. It must be sustainable, in line with the green economy and make a decisive contribution to closing digital divides and social exclusion.
4. Resilient, guaranteeing maximum redundancy and the best service levels.
5. Scalable and flexible.

But digital infrastructure has a unique opportunity in Spain to achieve these objectives and also to be a benchmark in Europe and globally. To this end, all private and public infrastructure players must work towards the same goal.

At the technological level in FTTH/B networks in Spain we are seeing a penetration of FTTH networks close to 90%. This high degree of capillarity is making it possible to enable the emergence of a strong demand for new services around the company and the home (IOT, security, etc.) that depend on fibre optics.

In this way, the progressive democratisation of applications such as high definition video transmission, gaming and the cloud make it necessary to think about technological developments in FTTH in the short term.

From Onivia, as a neutral and independent fibre network operator, our contribution is clear:

– To grow in last-mile network connectivity, reaching more homes and businesses.
– To ensure a redundant, efficient network with first class service standards.
– Contribute to closing the digital divide with rural networks such as those we have recently acquired, which will provide access to a fibre optic network to more than 1,000 municipalities of less than 10,000 inhabitants throughout Spain.

We are already preparing our networks for the next technological evolution, opening up new business opportunities, such as support for the 5G network, and improving our service portfolio so that our customers can benefit from greater bandwidth to support increasingly demanding applications in businesses and homes.