Eurofiber supports GAIA-X initiative for a safe data infrastructure in Europe
GAIA-X is intended to provide a European data and infrastructure ecosystem
Many European countries have concerns about Europe’s dependence when it comes to key digital technologies, such as cloud computing. Currently, the leading companies in the cloud business are non-European. European initiative GAIA-X is intended to provide a European alternative and set up a data and infrastructure ecosystem that is true to European values and standards.
This data infrastructure will ensure common rules, standards and technologies. Organizations participating in GAIA-X must comply with these rules and standards and provide services based on technologies endorsed by all GAIA-X participants. Openness and transparency, authenticity and trust, digital sovereignty and self-determination, free market access and value creation are central to the GAIA-X project.
The GAIA-X project will therefore allow international companies a safe and accessible connectivity to the European continent and European companies to safely connect to other parts of Europe. Especially now that cloud services are increasingly becoming the foundation for the application of other technologies, such as AI and the Internet of Things (IoT), robust, private connectivity between locations, data centers and in particularly to the cloud, is essential.
With 38,000 km fiberoptic network in The Netherlands, Belgium and France and stretching into Germany, Eurofiber enables total connectivity for the Smart Society, providing connectivity for all FTTx purposes. Eurofiber Innovation Manager Moniek Thissen: ‘It is not only about the privacy and security of data, but also about the safe transportation of data. We believe in an open access model, where the robust network is accessible to all interested market players in a non-discriminative way and thus facilitates digital innovation. Eurofiber wants to bring attention to these essential components on European level to ensure that they are integrated within the standards.’
The Dutch Cloud Infrastructure Coalition
Eurofiber supports the GAIA-X project by participating in the newly established Dutch Cloud Infrastructure Coalition (CiC), which main objective is a better competitive position of the Netherlands and Europe in the field of developing and using cloud services. Among others, the CiC joined the European Cloud Federation and contributes to the GAIA-X project.