In this issue, dotmagazine looks at how the world has changed in recent decades, how the Corona crisis has turned our world upside-down, further changes that are still needed to make society and business more equitable, and how digital infrastructure is supporting us in mastering the challenges of this transformation.

To mark the start of the German EU Council Presidency, the Association of the Internet Industry has compiled a 6-point catalogue of requirements for Europe’s digitalisation. eco also calls for a pan-European Digitalisation Roundtable comprised of national representatives of the Internet industry.

The goals that the German federal government is pursuing with its National Action Plan on Energy Efficiency Strategy 2050 are certainly ambitious. As a member of the government’s Working Group on Digitalisation, eco too is participating in the dialogue process to bring life to these goals.

eco Chair Oliver J. Süme: “GAIA-X paves the way for a new level of digital sovereignty, which at the same time goes hand in hand with high European data protection requirements and reliable IT security.”

For the Association of the Internet Industry, the responsibilities and liability for IT security must be regulated in a balanced manner within the framework of the IT-SiG 2.0 and security gaps must be closed quickly: State back-doors and the targeted weakening of encryption are counterproductive for IT security and jeopardise confidence in the use of digital services.

eco draws up a 6-point catalogue of requirements from the Internet industry for the strengthening of Europe as a digital location

The Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany, founded under the umbrella of the eco Association, welcomes the decision of the energy ministers and senators of the German states to reduce electricity costs and thereby initiate a sustainable energy transition economic programme.

The lock down measures implemented in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic are leading to negative consequences for all economic sectors. This will also slow the previous growth of the Internet industry in Germany. However, these negative effects are expected to be fully compensated for by the end of 2022. The prerequisite for this, however, is that the economy must be ramped up again as far as possible in 2020. This is the conclusion reached by eco – Association of the Internet Industry and the management consultancy Arthur D. Little in preliminary extracts of the study “The Internet Industry 2020 – 2025”, which presents current industry trends and growth forecasts every five years.

eco is celebrating its 25 years of existence this year under the motto of “Internet with Responsibility”. At the same time, the concept of digital sovereignty is being discussed increasingly in the media, politics, and parts of the Internet industry. But what does digital sovereignty actually mean and how does it relate to the anniversary motto? We asked Alexander Rabe, Managing Director of eco – Association of the Internet Industry, for his thoughts.

Beyond, of course, the health consequences and the impact on public life, the worldwide spread of COVID-19 means that many people are now staying put at home. This also has an impact on Internet use: With 9.1 Terabit data per second, the Frankfurt Internet exchange DE-CIX set a new world record on 10 March. This shows that functioning digital infrastructures are indispensable for a functioning economic structure and social life and are needed more urgently than ever in Europe.