As dotmagazine plans for 2026, the editorial team has put together this year’s calendar to tackle the Internet industry’s most pressing topics. We sat down with the team to hear about the approach behind this year’s seven issues and what they reveal about the digital landscape ahead.
Team members:
- Lars Steffen (Team Leader)
- Eilin Geraghty
- Cáit Kinsella
- Ladan Raeisian
1- What was your guiding principle when designing the 2026 calendar?
Editorial Team: Every topic we’ve chosen highlights a key moment where the Internet industry needs to pause and make thoughtful decisions. We’re not here just to talk about the latest trends – we want to dig into what really matters for the future. We invite you to join us on a journey: beginning with main questions around trust and policy, moving through the nuts and bolts that keep the Internet running, exploring the human side of it all, and finally looking ahead to the technologies shaping what’s to come and how to keep them secure and compliant.
2- You start the year with “Digital Trust & Policy” (January-February) and then moving to the “Data Centers & Digital Infrastructure” (March-April). Why did you choose that sequence?
Editorial Team: Trust is the bedrock of the entire digital industry. Nothing else works without it. And you can have the best policies in the world, but they mean nothing without the infrastructure to support them. Data centers face enormous pressures right now – demand growth, energy consumption, sustainability requirements. What’s fascinating is how infrastructure is becoming a geopolitical issue. Where data is stored, who controls the infrastructure, how resilient systems are – these aren’t just technical questions anymore. They’re questions of sovereignty, security, and strategic autonomy.
3- The May–June issue focuses on “Domains, Email & User Trust,” which might seem like established technologies. What’s the fresh angle for 2026?
Editorial Team: People might think “haven’t we solved email?” But these fundamental Internet services are constantly evolving to meet new security threats and regulatory requirements. Think about domain security, DNS innovations, email authentication – these aren’t fancy topics, but they’re essential to keeping the Internet trustworthy. When someone gets a phishing email or a domain gets hijacked, that erodes trust in the entire digital ecosystem.
4- In July you highlight “Building the Internet of Tomorrow.” What does that concept mean to you?
Editorial Team: It’s about ensuring the Internet remains open, secure, and human-centric as it evolves – and that’s very much eco Association’s priority. The Internet of tomorrow isn’t going to be just faster or smarter – it will be more trustworthy, resilient, and sustainable. It needs to be built on collaboration between technology, policy, and people.
5- “Diversity & Working Culture” gets its own dedicated issue in late August. Talk about that decision.
Editorial Team: This was non-negotiable for us. We could have folded diversity themes into other topics, but that often means they get treated as an afterthought. Building an inclusive, equitable Internet industry is a strategic priority, not a side conversation. We need case studies with actual data, honest reflections on what failed, practical guidance on moving from good intentions to meaningful change.
6- September–October brings “Security, Compliance & Digital Sovereignty” together. That’s a loaded combination. How do you see these three fitting together?
Editorial Team: They’re deeply interconnected. You can’t talk about security without discussing compliance frameworks, or digital sovereignty without addressing both. And by September-October, we’ll have most of 2026 behind us to assess what has actually been happening in terms of regulatory enforcement and security threats. The key question is: How do you balance legitimate sovereignty concerns with the reality that the Internet is a global, interconnected system? There’s no simple answer, and the conversation needs nuance.
7- “AI & Automation” in November and December closes out the year. Most publications would have led with this. Why save it for last?
Editorial Team: Because by November 2026, we’ll have nearly two years of post-ChatGPT implementation experience to draw from. The initial hype will have settled, and we’ll be dealing with practical realities – what actually works, what doesn’t, where the real value lies. And it’s a fitting culmination. All those earlier topics – trust, infrastructure, security, diversity, sovereignty – they all intersect with AI in profound ways. By year-end, we can offer something more valuable than noise: reflection, assessment, lessons learned. We want the implementation stories. Not “we deployed AI and it was amazing” but “here’s what happened when we tried to integrate AI, here’s what broke, here’s how we fixed it, here’s what we’d do differently.”
8- In your view, what makes a great contribution to dotmagazine?
Editorial Team: The best articles are the ones where you can almost hear the author’s voice. We want clarity and credibility that comes from real experience, not just theory. The pieces that really resonate are the ones where someone says, “Here’s what we tried, here’s what went sideways, and here’s what we learned.” After reading an article, someone should walk away with at least one actionable insight – a question to ask their team, a framework to adapt, a new way of thinking about a problem. And please, no corporate press releases disguised as thought leadership. We want authentic voices – people who care deeply about their work and aren’t afraid to show it.
9- How can readers get the most out of the variety of topics and industry expertise covered in dotmagazine?
Editorial Team: Don’t just read the issues that seem directly relevant to your role. If you’re a security professional, the “Diversity & Working Culture” issue might give you fresh perspectives. If you focus on data centers, the “Digital Trust & Policy” issues will help you understand the regulatory pressures your customers face. And engage actively. Leave comments in members+ or on LinkedIn, share articles with colleagues, and reach out to authors. dotmagazine works best as a living platform for dialogue, not just a publication you read passively. It’s the platform for members of the eco Association to share their expertise and what they are doing to shape the Internet industry.
10- Any final thoughts you’d like to share from the dotmagazine team?
Editorial Team: 2026 is going to be a defining year for the Internet industry. Don’t wait for the “perfect” contribution. If you have something valuable to say on any of these topics, reach out. Different perspectives make the conversation richer. Sometimes the most valuable articles come from people who think they’re not “expert enough” but who have real-world experience others can learn from. Remember that you’re not just reading about the Internet industry – you’re helping to shape it.
dotmagazine welcomes contributions from members, partners, and customers of the eco Association and DE-CIX Group. For information on submission guidelines and deadlines, visit www.dotmagazine.online.
