AG5 Policy Recommendations: Promoting Future-Proof Digital Infrastructures

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This policy document sets out a comprehensive strategy for advancing future-proof digital infrastructures across the Alpine region, with a particular focus on rural and mountain areas. The objective is to ensure reliable, secure, and inclusive high-speed connectivity, modern computing capacity, and trusted data use for citizens, businesses, and public services.

The document addresses the unique challenges faced by these territories, such as high costs for last-mile coverage, exposure to natural hazards, skills shortages, and cybersecurity risks. It emphasizes the need for cross-border backbone redundancy, municipal ownership models, resilient and low-carbon data centers and edge computing facilities, and secure communications tailored to the Alpine context.
The recommendations include reinforcing fiber optic and 5G corridors, establishing smart region hubs, adopting resilient data center standards and edge computing facilities, supporting municipal IoT portfolios, piloting secure communications, and launching shared skills and AI-assisted operations programs.

The anticipated impacts are improved economic conditions, environmental sustainability, and social well-being, achieved through fewer outages, better service reliability, reduced duplication, and enhanced cooperation. Implementation relies on coordinated multi-level governance, prioritizing cross border interoperability, leveraging existing funding programs, and promoting shared infrastructure and capacity building.
The document calls for collaboration among EU institutions, national and regional governments, local authorities, and community organizations to realize a secure, resilient, and inclusive digital future for the Alpine region.