Connectivity as critical national infrastructure: key insights from Ericsson EMEA and McKinsey fireside chat

In a recent fireside chat spanning Dubai and Amsterdam, Iwan Stella, Head of Strategy and Commercial Management at Ericsson EMEA and Ferry Grijpink, Partner at McKinsey & Company, explored some of the most defining forces shaping the future of telecoms, national digital infrastructure, and the global technology landscape.

What emerged was a powerful conversation about why connectivity has evolved from a utility into a true national asset, and how technologies like 5G, AI and edge compute are converging to create unprecedented opportunities for countries, industries and societies.

Connectivity as critical national infrastructure

Ferry highlighted a pivotal lesson from recent years: societies only realise the value of connectivity when it is put at risk. COVID-19 dramatically exposed this reality. Overnight, entire nations relied on digital infrastructure to keep economies, education systems, and social interactions functioning.

Countries with strong networks adapted quickly. Those without faced disruption.

This moment revealed an undeniable truth:
Telecom networks are no longer “nice to have” – they are essential infrastructure for national resilience and competitiveness.

5G: Moving beyond speed to a platform of innovation

Both speakers emphasised that 5G is entering its most transformative phase. The initial waves — capacity boosts and fixed wireless access — are now established. The next horizon is about unlocking real-time, intelligent, high-performance experiences that enable:

• Autonomous drones and vehicles
• AI agents communicating continuously
• Industrial automation at massive scale

To capture this value, operators must accelerate investments in standalone 5G, network slicing, open APIs, and edge compute—the foundations that make monetization possible.

AI, automation and the reinvention of operations

AI’s rise will reshape telco operations from end to end. Automation, intent-based networks, and AI-driven orchestration promise to dramatically improve service delivery, reduce complexity, and enable more agile innovation.

But this transition requires upskilling, cultural change, and a more realistic understanding of what AI can deliver today versus tomorrow. Ferry noted that many of the most immediate gains lie in operations, NOCs and network optimisation, where AI can create value now.

Sovereignty and resilience in a fragmenting world

The discussion also acknowledged an important geopolitical shift: countries are increasingly viewing digital infrastructure through the lenses of sovereignty, security, and resilience.

This does not mean building everything locally — but it does require thoughtful planning around:

• Redundancy in critical assets
• Local instances or fallback capabilities
• Secure supply chains
• Strong cybersecurity frameworks

Collaboration across regions, rather than isolated approaches, will be essential to maintain efficiency and scale.

A positive outlook: 2026 as an inflection point

Despite the challenges, the conversation ended on a highly optimistic note.
With the maturity of 5G, the emergence of powerful networks APIs, and the rapid evolution of AI, 2026 is shaping up to be a breakthrough year where connectivity becomes a true platform of national and industrial innovation.

From transforming learning and healthcare to empowering rural communities, the combined potential of 5G + AI + edge compute offers a chance to unlock human potential at unprecedented scale.

Watch the full session here:

https://www.ericsson.com/en/news/5/2025/connectivity-as-national-infrastructure-insights?video-dialog=1_4m4tb7ab