Vision for the Next Generation Internet
This vision statement is part of the European Commission’s Next Generation Internet 2025 study.
An internet of human values
Resilient. Trustworthy. Sustainable.
The overall mission of the Next Generation Internet initiative is to re-imagine and re-engineer the Internet for the third millennium and beyond. We envision the information age will be an era that brings out the best in all of us. We want to enable human potential, mobility and creativity at the largest possible scale – while dealing responsibly with our natural resources. In order to preserve and expand the European way of life, we shape a value-centric, human and inclusive Internet for all.
These important ambitions need a solid technical foundation to build on. The legendary robustness of the Internet must become actual reality in the Next Generation Internet. A massive global fleet of connected devices is on its way to enhance and control our homes, factories, offices and vehicles. Technology is embedded in concrete, circling in space and is increasingly entering the intimacy of our human bodies. The Next Generation Internet has to be both highly adaptive and unrelentingly resilient. Whatever companies or parts of the network go down by some natural or other disaster, the effects on the rest of us should be close to zero.
There is another essential dimension to trust, which lies above physical availability. We need a transparent technological environment, that is completely trustworthy. The architecture, governance and policies structure how entire societies and economies interact. By design it should protect free speech and private enterprise and much more. The Next Generation Internet is to be designed to avoid any bias or systematic abuse of global trust in the Internet. It shall be a true global commons, rising above international politics and competition. It will guarantee the safety of citizens and strengthen the health and autonomy of our markets and societies across borders.
The enduring success of the Internet lies in permission-free innovation, openness and interoperability. The Next Generation Internet is set up to empower, to unlimit our choices. It fosters diversity and decentralisation, and grows the potential for disruptive innovation. This extends far beyond the technical realm. The Next Generation Internet will achieve a sustainably open environment for our cultures and economies, celebrating our values and promoting creativity and well-being.
Let's re-invent Internet to reach the full human potential, for all generations.
Please note that current information about NGI and NGI Zero is available from NGI.eu and the dedicated pages:
