2 Degrees' Mark Callander explains why he thinks digital sovereignty is something worth being concerned about

By Mark Callander*

As global uncertainty becomes a constant, we are seeing a hot topic in the technology and telecommunication world emerge: technology sovereignty. 

In essence, the debate asks: is using digital services distributed around the world still safe and prudent? Where should you store and how should you transmit critical data? Do you need to build infrastructure locally? Should you leave it to big international companies and send the ones and zeros around the globe, or secure it in your backyard?

The choice used to be simple: pick the cheapest, fastest, most reliable. But as the world has become more complex, so has the vendor and technology selection process.

More governments and companies around the world are building infrastructure and storing data on sovereign soil. This approach is understandable.

At a government level, storing citizens’ data offshore can introduce additional risk, which may be reduced by keeping such information within national borders.

Similar considerations apply to company and financial records, particularly where storing data in another jurisdiction may not be appropriate.

At the coalface, it's becoming clear to me that our country’s digital future must seriously consider sovereign capability: infrastructure, investment and expertise grounded here at home.

Due to the nature of the interconnectedness built into the internet, it wouldn’t be possible or sensible for most organisations to rebuild and ring-fence all services locally. But identifying key technology to house locally is something that will become increasingly commonplace.

Working directly on the future of AI and space connectivity in New Zealand, I've increasingly come to see value in sovereign approaches. Resilient national infrastructure - both on the ground, and increasingly in space – can serve Aotearoa’s interests better.

It’s my view that the most important AI capability should be built and run in New Zealand.

For example, in order for us to analyse vast volumes of telemetry data (50 million pieces of information an hour - far more than any human could process) to identify and resolve network issues, often before customers notice them, we are developing a private AI platform onshore with Hewlett Packard Enterprise.

An AI-enabled network can detect early signs of congestion or hardware failure and automatically resolve the issue before disruption occurs - keeping critical services running, saving time and money. And it makes it even more important in environments such as ports and airports, where even brief network interruptions can halt operations and cost thousands of dollars per minute.

That’s why we want operational independence and control, security jurisdiction and protocols we define, and the resilience and availability that housing AI in New Zealand offers.

Space connectivity is one example of how this thinking is evolving. We’re in the process of bringing new technology to New Zealand that allows data to travel from a phone in New Zealand, to a satellite in space, and back to New Zealand before continuing across the network like it normally would. This ensures New Zealand data stays under New Zealand jurisdiction throughout the entire path.

The reason that matters for me, is that while many New Zealanders may not be concerned about their data travelling offshore when they call their mum or check Facebook, for some it does matter, and it may matter more as the world becomes less predictable.

*Mark Callander is the CEO at 2 Degrees.