EditEnergy crisis could expose Italy’s digital infrastructure to systemic risk, industry warns
The warning comes as fears grow over possible supply shocks following instability around key maritime chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz
Italy’s internet providers are urging the government to urgently shield the country’s digital infrastructure from potential energy disruptions linked to escalating tensions in the Middle East, warning that networks and data centres could face abrupt shutdowns in the event of rationing.
The Associazione Italiana Internet Provider (AIIP) has called for an immediate interministerial crisis task force and a national digital emergency plan to safeguard the full operational chain underpinning connectivity – from power supply and substations to backup generators, fuel logistics and network control systems.
The warning comes as fears grow over possible supply shocks following instability around key maritime chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz. According to AIIP, digital infrastructure consumption is “constant and non-compressible”, meaning even limited power cuts would not result in gradual slowdowns but in sudden service interruptions, with cascading effects across healthcare, public administration, payments and logistics.
The association argues that existing safeguards – including proposals for a “whitelist” of critical electricity withdrawal points – are no longer sufficient. Instead, it is pushing for a comprehensive national mapping of non-disconnectable infrastructure and priority protocols for diesel supply to ensure continuity of service during emergencies.
The appeal reflects broader concerns that Italy remains structurally unprepared for coordinated energy and digital crisis management, with risks amplified by increasing reliance on cloud services and interconnected networks.
At the same time, the issue is spilling over to the European level. Through EuroISPA, AIIP has backed a joint letter to the European Commission warning against Italy’s decision to extend private copying levies to cloud storage services.
Co-signed by European Digital SME Alliance and CISPE, the letter argues that the measure could set a harmful precedent, fragmenting the EU’s digital single market, undermining cloud adoption and placing European firms at a competitive disadvantage vis-à-vis non-EU providers.
Industry groups also criticise the administrative burden linked to reimbursement procedures, describing them as at odds with the EU’s push for regulatory simplification.
The signatories are calling for a structured dialogue between Brussels and Rome, alongside a revision of the InfoSoc Directive to reflect the shift from physical copying to streaming and cloud-based content storage – a transition that, they argue, current rules fail to adequately capture.
Together, the twin debates highlight a growing tension at the heart of Europe’s digital transition: infrastructure resilience and regulatory frameworks are struggling to keep pace with the speed and scale of technological change.
The original article in Italian by our partner FocusEurope.it can be found here.
Caption: AI-generated illustrative image
Updated: April 2, 2026 - 12:23
