Digital public infrastructure
Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) refers to digital systems and platforms that enable the delivery of services, facilitate data exchange, and support digital governance across various sectors.[1] DPI includes elements such as digital identity systems,[2] payment platforms,[3] and data exchange protocols, designed to be scalable, interoperable, and accessible to both government and private sector participants.[4] These infrastructures aim to support the functioning of public services, governance, and economic processes. It can also be understood as an intermediate layer in the digital ecosystem enabling applications across various public sectors.[5]
Examples of DPI include India's Aadhaar system for digital identity, UPI for payments, and the India Stack data exchange framework.[6] Another example of digital public infrastructures is Estonia’s X-Road, which is an open-source government data exchange system.[7] Initiatives such as the German Sovereign Tech Fund provides funding for open digital infrastructure.[7]
DPI plays a role in modernizing public services by supporting initiatives in areas like e-governance, health records management, and education. By ensuring the availability and operation of digital infrastructures, it can affect the efficiency of public service delivery and influence trust in digital systems.[8] The implementation of DPI involves addressing issues related to privacy, data security, and equitable access to ensure its impact across different segments of the population. It also implies governments taking more responsibility in the maintenance of the underlying technological stack for the digital public sphere to build a shared public infrastructure that prioritizes public values, democracy, and accessibility.[7][9]
Since 2020s, the public discussion about digital public infrastructure is gaining traction, with actors ranging from the Indian government to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) or private sector giants like Huawei, Amazon Web Services, and Mastercard endorsing its importance. It’s seen as a solution to numerous contemporary issues, from enhancing digital sovereignty to improving connectivity and interoperability among digital services and products.[7]
History
[edit]The concept of treating digital systems as public infrastructure has evolved over decades. Early examples of DPI date back to foundational technologies like the Internet and GPS, which were publicly funded and made universally available.[10] However, until recently, such systems were often siloed and not thought of as one cohesive public infrastructure.[11]
The term "digital public infrastructure" itself gained prominence in the early 2020s, especially as countries started building integrated digital service platforms. India provided an early model for the concept: its government launched the Aadhaar digital ID system in 2010 (now the world’s largest biometric ID database) and opened it up for use in both public and private services. This was followed by open digital payment platforms and data-sharing frameworks, collectively known as the India Stack. These were conceptualized as "government-owned, non-competing" digital utilities on which others could build services. Other nations had parallel developments: Estonia built its X-Road data exchange system in the 2000s, enabling government and private databases to talk to each other securely[7] and laying the groundwork for the later development of Estonia’s e-government services.[12]
By the 2020s, thinkers and policymakers began explicitly using the infrastructure analogy, framing online services as critical infrastructure that should be broadly accessible, akin to public roads.[7] In 2023, global consensus on a definition of DPI emerged. During India's G20 presidency, world leaders agreed to describe digital public infrastructure as "a set of shared digital systems that are secure and interoperable, built on open standards, to deliver equitable access to public and/or private services at societal scale."[13] That same year, the United Nations also identified DPI as a high-impact initiative for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, with over 100 countries committing support.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ "What is DPI? | Centre for Digital Public Infrastructure". docs.cdpi.dev. Archived from the original on 2024-12-13. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
- ^ White, Olivia; Madgavkar, Anu; Manyika Mumbai, James; Mahajan, Deepa. "Digital ID: A key to inclusive growth | McKinsey". www.mckinsey.com. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
- ^ Clark, Julia Michal; Metz, Anna Zita; Casher, Claire Susan.ID4D Global Dataset 2021 : Volume 1 - Global ID Coverage Estimates (English). Washington, D.C. : World Bank Group.
- ^ "Digital public infrastructure". UNDP. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
- ^ Marskell, Jonathan; Marin, Georgina; Varghese, Minita. "Digital Public Infrastructure: Transforming Service Delivery Across Sectors". World Bank. Archived from the original on 2024-05-16. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
- ^ "Scale of digital public infrastructure staggering: UIDAI CEO Saurabh Garg". The Economic Times. 2023-02-24. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
- ^ a b c d e f Krewer, Jan (March 13, 2024). "Signs of progress: Digital Public Infrastructure is gaining traction". Open Future CCBY. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
- ^ "What is digital public infrastructure?". Gates Foundation. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
- ^ "How digital public infrastructure supports empowerment, inclusion, and resilience". World Bank Blogs. Archived from the original on 2024-12-10. Retrieved 2025-02-22.
- ^ Kilroy, Annie; Migwe-Kagume, Charlene (2024-09-17). "Mythbusters: Digital Public Infrastructure & Digital Public Goods". Development Gateway. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
- ^ a b Bandura, Romina; McLean, Madeleine; Sultan, Sarosh (2023-12-20). "Unpacking the Concept of Digital Public Infrastructure and Its Importance for Global Development". Center for Strategic & International Studies.
- ^ "Why digital sovereignty matters and how X-Road makes it happen". nortal.com. 2025-03-07. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
- ^ "What we can expect for digital public infrastructure in 2024". World Economic Forum. February 13, 2024.
Further reading
[edit]- United Nations: Our Common Agenda Policy Brief 5. A Global Digital Compact —an Open, Free and Secure Digital Future for All
- Think20: Unpacking Digital Public Infrastructure: Navigating Conceptual Ambiguities
- Ethan Zuckerman: The Case for Digital Public Infrastructure
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): Digital public infrastructure for digital governments
- Rajendra-Nicolucci, Mila Samdub, Chand (2024-11-25). "What is Digital Public Infrastructure? Towards More Specificity | TechPolicy.Press". Tech Policy Press. Retrieved 2025-06-16.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Eaves, David; Rao, Krisstina (2025). "Digital Public Infrastructure: a framework for conceptualisation and measurement" (PDF). UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose Working Paper Series. IIPP WP 2025‑01. UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose. ISSN 2635-0122. Retrieved 16 June 2025.