The Netherlands is highly dependent on a reliable digital infrastructure. Businesses, government, and households are continuously connected via telecommunications. The digital infrastructure strengthens the economy but is also vulnerable to disruptions caused by sabotage, cyberattacks, and hybrid threats. KPN manages a large part of the Dutch digital infrastructure, including fixed and mobile networks.
The King and Minister Karremans visit the Security Operations Center (SOC) and Network Operations Center (NOC). These centers conduct security monitoring of KPNs networks and its customers. The King and the minister engage with staff about preventing, detecting, and responding to threats. The team monitors identities, servers, databases, network applications, and websites to detect potential cyberattacks in real-time.
Next, the King and the minister receive a briefing and demonstration from VodafoneZiggo about the national applicability of the Vodafone Foundations Instant Network. This is a mobile emergency solution deployed worldwide during disasters to restore connectivity between citizens, emergency responders, and government communication.
The working visit concludes with a roundtable discussion with KPN and partners, such as the Dutch Data Center Association, Ambassador Submarine Cable Coalition, and AMS-IX. The discussion focuses on what a resilient digital infrastructure means for a safe and resilient Netherlands in the short and long term.
The King regularly undertakes working visits together with a minister or state secretary. During these visits, the King sees, through concrete examples, the effects of the officials policy in practice and the challenges involved.