Ainikki Riikonen
Contributor
The TechCrunch Global Affairs Project examines the increasingly intertwined relationship between the tech sector and global politics.
The push by countries at all levels of development to modernize their information and communications networks has created unprecedented demand for technological infrastructure. Governments and industry are investing billions of dollars to expand digital connectivity worldwide. New deployments of 4G, 5G, satellites and fiber-optic cables could create huge opportunities for host nations but pose significant risks if networks are built without adequate safeguards. The U.S. has a role to play in securing the future of the internet and the global digital economy but will need to move beyond confrontation with China to succeed.
China’s network effects
Digital access is the foundation for digital services, like fintech and e-commerce, that connect communities to trade and financial resources. As startups in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa draw billions in investment, their services require a strong and wide-reaching information communications technology (I …
