Alternative Futures for Digital Infrastructure

A competition for digital infrastructure (DI) is underway between the United States and China, which has implications for military forces and operations that rely on this infrastructure in competition and conflict. However, DI as a competition remains largely understudied in a comprehensive way. This report is a product of a multiyear research effort to define DI, characterize the competition underway, identify key factors shaping outcomes, and assess the potential implications for the Department of Defense. This report contributes to the broader understanding of DI by presenting an alternative futures analysis of how the global DI could evolve out to 2050 and the military implications of those futures for the United States and China.