Connectivity’s critical test: can Europe align ambition with delivery?

Europe’s digital future is often framed broadly in terms of ambition, delivered through faster networks, smarter services and global competitiveness. Less attention is paid to whether European institutions are aligned with how citizens already experience connectivity today and their priorities for the future.

The findings of a new report – Public views on connectivity in Europe – by Debating Europe, the citizen engagement unit of Friends of Europe, suggests that there is a growing disconnect.

Debating Europe found that across Germany, Greece, Portugal and Romania, citizens no longer see digital connectivity as a consumer upgrade or a technical add on. Instead, reliable, high speed internet is now widely regarded as essential to daily life, economic participation and national resilience.

For many Europeans, connectivity really has become as fundamental as energy, transport or public safety infrastructure.
This shift in public perception matters. It reframes connectivity from a sectoral concern into a question of trust, security and sovereignty – and raises challenging questions about whether Europe’s policy frameworks are moving at the same pace as public expectations.

Connectivity has become critical infrastructure

The survey evidence is strikingly consistent. Large majorities across all four countries regard internet access as essential for work, education, managing finances and staying connected with family and friends. Citizens also increasingly associate connectivity with the success of small businesses, job creation and regional economic vitality.

More importantly, they understand that digital networks now underpin systems traditionally viewed through a national security lens. Energy grids, emergency communications, satellites, defence technologies and data centres all depend on resilient, secure connectivity. Concern about cyberattacks on Europe’s digital infrastructure is widespread, with particularly high levels of anxiety in Portugal, but there is a strong awareness across all four countries.

This marks a clear evolution in public thinking. Connectivity is no longer judged primarily by speed or price, but on reliability, resilience and trustworthiness. Europeans increasingly recognise that without robust networks, other policy ambitions ranging from decarbonisation and digital public services to regional cohesion are harder to realise.
A mandate for investment needs confidence in delivery

Contrary to frequent political caution, there is little evidence of public resistance to investment. Majorities in all four countries consider public funding for digital infrastructure acceptable, and often overwhelmingly so. At the same time, there is strong agreement that telecoms providers must continue investing in future technologies such as fibre and advanced mobile networks.

This means there is a social licence to invest, but the missing piece of the puzzle is confidence in delivery.

In Germany, Greece and Portugal in particular, many respondents have doubts that government decisions adequately reflect their real connectivity needs, and especially when it comes to rural and underserved areas. Greece stands out for especially low trust in national decision making, but similar concerns are evident elsewhere.

This gap between public support and institutional confidence should deeply concern policymakers. The challenge here is not about persuading citizens that connectivity matters. It is convincing them that connectivity strategies and policies are sufficiently ambitious, coherent and long term.

Trust flows upwards but responsibility does not always follow

One of the most revealing findings relates to trust. When asked who they trust to ensure secure and reliable access to digital networks, respondents consistently place the European Union ahead of national governments and private actors. National political systems attract the greatest scepticism, while telecom operators and technology companies sit roughly in the middle.

This creates a structural tension at the heart of Europe’s digital project. Citizens increasingly expect strong leadership at European level, particularly on security and resilience. Yet investment decisions, regulatory implementation and planning permissions remain largely national and are often fragmented.

This signals that expectations are rising faster than delivery mechanisms. Without stronger alignment between European ambition and national execution, there is a risk that trust will erode further.

Digital sovereignty means resilience not isolation

Support for Europe developing its own digital infrastructure remains strong across all four countries. This sentiment is particularly pronounced in Portugal, but it enjoys broad backing elsewhere. It should not, however, be misread as a desire for technological isolation.

Citizens favour European digital capabilities for security, reliability and strategic autonomy, but not because they want to withdraw from global markets. As geopolitics become more fragmented, depending on foreign technologies is seen as a vulnerability.

In this sense, digital sovereignty is less about protectionism and more about resilience: the ability to withstand shocks, safeguard critical services and retain strategic agency in an interconnected world.

Policy approaches must shift from strategy to alignment

Ultimately, Europe does not suffer from a shortage of digital strategies, declarations or targets. What it lacks is robust alignment between citizens who already grasp the stakes, institutions that design the rules and investors who must commit capital over decades.

The survey evidence points to three priorities for European policy makers.

• First, connectivity must be treated as foundational infrastructure, comparable to energy and transport, with planning horizons and policy stability that reflect its strategic importance.
• Second, Europe must close the rural urban divide decisively. Perceived inequality in access remains one of the most persistent sources of frustration and continues to undermine confidence in public decision making.
• Finally, digital sovereignty must be anchored in resilience and trust, not rhetoric. Citizens support European capability because they want networks that are secure, reliable and accountable.

The time for institutional hesitation has long passed. Europe’s citizens are ready for a more serious conversation about connectivity – one that goes well beyond rollout targets and coverage maps to address security, trust and long term competitiveness.

If Europe is serious about resilience, inclusion and strategic autonomy, connectivity must be treated not as a sectoral issue but as a central priority, with shared infrastructure shaping the continent’s future. The public mandate is already there. The burning question is whether Europe’s governance structures can step up to meet it.

This article is a contribution from a member or partner organisation of Friends of Europe. The views expressed in this #CriticalThinking article reflect those of the author(s) and not of Friends of Europe.