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Europe’s Digital Future Risks Leaving Rural Communities Behind

A robotic hand holds a magnifying glass, revealing a detailed cityscape in blue tones, over a simplified aerial city map with trees.
Illustration by Anviksha Bhardwaj

“What is often misunderstood is that there are regional disparities within countries in relation to the digital divide—it is not just rural vs urban, but core vs periphery," outlines Javier Ruiz Diaz, Policy Director of the UK-based Open Rights Group, speaking to Political Pandora. The accelerating pace of technological development is transforming daily life across Europe, but is exposing the unequal access it provides.  


While major cities like Barcelona, Paris, and London thrive as innovation hubs, many rural regions struggle to keep up. Access to high-speed internet, digital services, and technology remains uneven, exposing a growing divide that mirrors—and exacerbates—existing economic and social inequalities. As digital progress continues, the challenge is no longer just about expanding infrastructure, but about ensuring that all communities—urban and rural alike—can participate meaningfully in the benefits it brings. 


This transformation is already well underway in Europe’s cities. Technology has reshaped the way we communicate, learn and work, and urban centres have embraced it at scale. From advanced transport systems to digital healthcare and smart public services, cities are using digital infrastructure to drive both efficiency and accessibility. As Supantha Mukherjee, a prominent AI and tech expert at Reuters, notes, cities have made remarkable strides, but they stand in sharp contrast to the experiences of many rural areas that are often left behind. 


Feeling ignored by their governments, rural communities watch as resources flow disproportionately into urban centres. Over the past decade, the income gap between rural and urban areas has increased by nearly 20%, as Klara Foti notes, heightening a sense of social and economic exclusion. 


This divide can be understood through Robert K. Merton’s theory of anomie, which Christian Wickert articulates as a breakdown of social norms and values, resulting in a state of confusion. In the context of rapid technological advancement, this theory highlights the widening disconnect between the urban elite and rural communities, whose goals and opportunities are increasingly misaligned. For many in rural areas, the promise of a digital future feels distant and unattainable, causing a rising sense of dissolution. 


This sense of disconnection is compounded by uneven infrastructure, further marginalising rural populations. Digital inclusion initiatives risk reinforcing existing inequalities rather than bridging them.


Feeling overlooked in policy discussions often drives outward migration of younger generations as they leave in search of better prospects, hollowing out local economies. It also fuels political alienation, with communities feeling ignored by national and EU-level decision makers, creating fertile ground for populist narratives to capitalise on the idea of abandonment. 


Zygmunt Bauman’s concept of liquid modernity, discussed by Alicia Mattiazzi and Martin Vila-Petroff, further illuminates this instability. In a world where change is constant and traditional certainties dissolve, rural communities are left navigating a landscape in which familiar social structures have dissolved, particularly those tied to agriculture, small-scale industry and family-run businesses. As these foundations dissolve, the feeling of exclusion deepens, especially as access to new technologies and opportunities they bring remains concentrated in urban areas.


This growing divide is not merely the result of a lack of infrastructure or oversight; it is deeply rooted in structural economic decisions that have systematically deprioritised rural regions. After the 2008 financial crisis, austerity measures adopted across many EU member states forced deep cuts in public spending. This manifested itself in investment into rural communities being sacrificed in favour of immediate fiscal consolidation, leaving these places with outdated or insufficient connectivity, compounding an existing divide. 


To combat this and address the growing disparities, the European Union has launched the Digital Decade Policy programme, which aims to ensure universal access to gigabit connectivity and high-speed mobile coverage by 2030. The programme actively recognises community networks as viable models for its broadband roll-out strategy. 


Despite this recognition, many grassroots initiatives continue to face structural barriers, including limiting funding opportunities and lack of support. These obstacles hinder their ability to scale up and compete with larger organisations.


The Internet Society, a global non-profit known for advocating open and accessible infrastructure, wrote in a 2021 report that these types of projects had “been very successful in driving take-up.” However, the outlet also acknowledged that while take-up had been successful, there was a lack of priority for grassroots community networks in comparison to municipal-level applications. La Quadrature du Net also added this sidelined community innovators. 


But universal infrastructure does not guarantee universal inclusion. As Diaz acknowledged in their interview, there is too much discussion on infrastructure quantity. “What tends to happen is that the impacts of digital advances tend to benefit countries with higher levels of digitalisation, when you throw in 5G, poorer countries in the EU might have more mobile internet use than broadband at home. It could work in principle, but when you look at the impacts of all technologies together, it gets more complicated.”


This complexity is especially prevalent in rural areas, where elderly people, women, linguistic minorities, low-income households and people with disabilities are often excluded from the digital transformation. In India, for example, according to the Down to Earth organisation, the Aadhaar biometric ID system was introduced to streamline public services, yet thousands of rural residents, especially the elderly, were locked out due to fingerprint mismatches and struggled to navigate the digital platform. This demonstrates that even with ambitious infrastructure, without cultural awareness or local skill-building, these initiatives risk deepening the digital divide rather than amending it. 


While mobile internet—via 4G or 5G on smartphones—offers some flexibility in rural settings, it is not a substitute for fixed broadband, especially for households, schools and small businesses that rely on stable connections. Fixed-line fibre-optic broadband is essential for long-term economic development and digital equity, but it remains far less accessible in rural areas. 


Rural users often face slower speeds and less reliable services, limiting their ability to fully participate in the digital economy. 


This can in part be explained by higher deployment costs and lower population density, which makes rural investments less attractive for private providers. A study conducted by researchers, Juan Rendon Schneir and Yupeng Xiong, estimated that installing fixed broadband networks in rural zones costs nearly 80% more per unit than in urban areas. 


New technologies like 5G only work in highly digitized countries. Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands are far better positioned to take advantage of technological advancements. Diaz underscores that access to 5G means little without compatible devices, skills and infrastructure already in place. 


Countries like Italy, Spain and France have infrastructure capable of supporting 5G, according to Reuters journalists, Elvira Pollina and Giuseppe Fonte. This sharply contrasts with others across the continent, where broadband coverage remains limited and digital literacy gaps persist. Romanian journalist, Radu Dumitrescu, wrote in December 2024 that Moldova could no longer rely on the supply of Russian gas being provided by Gazprom, which left people with a lack of energy resources and basic needs for sufficient income. This illustrates the broader vulnerability of under-connected regions when it is tied to unreliable sources, underscoring the importance of building locally controlled digital energy networks. 


Demographic challenges further add to this pressure. Many young people leave rural areas in search of opportunities, meaning economies still heavily reliant on agriculture fail as Phoebe Westone, an environmental journalist writes. In an attempt to mitigate these risks, various startups and NGOs have emerged. Agrivi, in Croatia, supports farmers by providing access to a comprehensive farm software management platform. It gives tools and data to farmers that help them optimise production, improve crop quality and increase income. By using this technology, Agrivi is helping to bridge the divide between traditional farming methods and modern agricultural practices. 


Founder and CEO Matija Zulj explained their mission, speaking to Forward Fooding back in 2022, “We want to partner with big companies and the government to bring the service to everyone for free. One of the key aims is to democratise access to this.”


This highlights a contrast with the top-down nature of much digital EU policy making. The Digital Decade Policy Programme is heavily state-led and infrastructure-focused, often favouring national-level broadband strategies over community-led, grassroots initiatives. This creates a disconnect that can manifest itself in poorly adopted initiatives. In contrast, bottom-up governance and sustained digital education efforts can allow people within grassroots schemes to outperform centralised institutions. 


For instance, Diaz argues that the work of organisations like Agrivi highlights a deeper gap in understanding among EU policymakers about the realities and challenges facing farmers on the ground. “Countries are becoming more like intermediaries,” he says, pointing to the growing centralisation of agricultural policy in Brussels. The European Commission, through mechanisms such as the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), now holds significant authority to shape agricultural policies and distribute funding across member states. Yet, this centralised approach often fails to be implemented successfully. 


Writing on the Agricultural Convention, Terezie Daňková, a farmer from the Czech Republic, spent four days trying to upload geotagged photos to an EU portal that offered no intuitive guidance. “I had to ask my son to help. The form was confusing, the instructions were buried, and I missed the final step because it was at the very bottom.” The EU portals assume a level of high digital fluency, stable infrastructure and time resources that many rural residents simply don't have. 


While this approach aims to ensure cohesion and equality, Diaz argues it frequently overlooks local contexts and nuanced national priorities. “Brussels now has more power to intervene directly, but I think that is perhaps not a good thing; it might be better if we have a more specific focus on each country’s needs.” Without flexibility, broad EU frameworks risk overlooking differences in climate, labour and technological readiness across member states.


Fiscal policy is largely shaped at the EU level by the European Commission, but addressing challenges like the digital divide requires significant investment. This issue is particularly pressing in rural areas, where undeveloped infrastructure hampers digital adoption. In Germany, for example, over two million people have never used the internet, notes Diaz.


According to EU statistics, across their member states, 52.8% of rural homes now have access to fibre connections, but are still behind the overall coverage of 64%. A similar gap exists in 5G access, with urban areas having 89% coverage and rural areas at 73%, reports Thomas Reigner, Commission Spokesperson for Tech Sovereignty, Defence, Space and Research at the EU. 


Reigner, speaking to Political Pandora, emphasises the EU’s commitment to bridging the digital divide. “Initiatives like the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) aim at enhancing the social and territorial cohesion of the EU by financially supporting the deployment of 5G in rural areas and cross-border sections of the transport paths. This supports the continuous provision of connectivity to road users and train passengers”. 


The CEF is a key funding instrument of the EU designed to promote growth, jobs and competitiveness through targeted infrastructure investment. From a macroeconomic perspective, investments in digital infrastructure like 5G play a critical role in increasing productivity and supporting regional development. By improving access to services and enabling new business models, these initiatives can reduce long-term disparities between regions. 


The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) also supports rural communities, targeting rural areas to address ageing communities and ensuring they have access to vital services such as healthcare, mobility and education. In Latvia, according to a report published by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in March 2025, ERDF funding has strengthened support for vulnerable groups through investments in accessible infrastructure and digital skills initiatives. 


However, problems remain in how these funds are distributed. Funding is allocated based on GDP per capita and regional development levels, meaning less-developed regions receive proportionally more support, in theory. But these nations often have weaker administrative systems, meaning that the funds allocated are less effectively deployed. Even within countries, cities often capture a disproportionate share of the funding compared to rural communities.


An example comes from Spain, which received €45 billion from the EU in structural funds from 2014-2020 but managed to distribute only about 74% leaving an estimated €11 billion unclaimed, the lowest absorption rate in the EU. Furthermore, according to Euractiv, auditors found €15 billion misused across cohesion funds, raising concerns that both the Commission and member states lack robust oversight, especially in less-administered regions. 


These issues of mismanagement and underutilisation highlight the crucial role that governance plays in how technology is implemented and regulated. The Digital Governance Act and Digital Markets Act aims to ensure that personal and organisational data is collected, stored and processed in ways that respect fundamental rights such as privacy and consent. While this is necessary to ensure safeguarding and build trust, Diaz cautions that regulation in this space could stifle innovation. It is a delicate balancing act between protecting rights without inhibiting progress. 


However, regulation does not always hamper innovation; it can build public trust. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has been instrumental in raising awareness about data privacy and setting global standards. Research from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights found that GDPR contributed to higher public confidence in digital services and improved user content mechanisms. This has seen countries like Estonia create some of the world's most advanced e-governance systems, including secure digital IDs and online voting. 


The consequences of the digital divide go beyond infrastructure and accessibility; they have profound social and political ramifications. Many rural and post-industrial regional communities feel left behind by the pace and direction of technological progress. In the context of Bauman’s liquid modernity—a world where change is constant and stable structures dissolve—these communities are left struggling to keep up as institutions they once relied on vanish.


While urban areas have reaped the benefits—better connectivity and faster services—rural areas are plagued by stagnating economies and outdated infrastructure. The north of the UK and the post-industrial towns offer a stark example of this. The Thatcherite consensus devastated these areas, as an economic restructuring took place under a London-centric focus, which favoured a globalised, free trade economy built on modern practises and innovation. 


This shift disproportionately benefitted the South East and major cities, where the service and financial sectors were concentrated. As opportunities grew in these urban hubs it created a widening geographical and economic divide in wealth and development. 


Traditional industries—mining, manufacturing, and shipbuilding—were rapidly dismantled with little investment into retraining local communities to work in other sectors. It left many of these towns battling chronic unemployment, social dislocation and underinvestment. This legacy has fuelled resentment towards elites who are perceived as out of touch with the lived realities of these communities. 


Across Europe, similar feelings exist as populist and anti-statist movements make huge strides, feeding on feelings of exclusion. This has eroded trust in EU-level policymaking, even well-intentioned digital strategies designed to improve people's lives and working efficiency are met with skepticism if they fail to protect local priorities. 


The FT wrote how the National Rally led by Marine Le Pen in last July’s French elections drew deep support from depopulated rural regions, areas experiencing economic decline and high unemployment. The National Rally pledged to “tackle authoritarian bureaucracy in Brussels”, while the AFD party in Germany portrays political elites in Berlin as "absolutely clueless.” 


An analysis conducted by Cambridge University across 19 countries found that rural dwellers are significantly less satisfied with how democracy works, in part due to perceptions of neglect and lack of investment. Nationalist groups have latched onto these feelings of discontent, framing the digital revolution as part of a broader betrayal by the global elites, who, in their pursuit of technological heights, have abandoned everyday people. 


If the EU hopes to maintain stability and trust, it must invest not only in infrastructure but in inclusion. Equitable access to technology can be a great equaliser—but only if it is done in a fair, meaningful and empowering way. This means not just laying fibre-optic cables, but ensuring that rural residents have the digital literacy, economic means and institutional trust to make use of the networks. 


To achieve this, the EU must go beyond high-level targets and implement mechanisms that make the body accountable. For example, this can include earmarking a fixed percentage of digital funding for community-led initiatives. Metrics of success should also not be solely based on usage, but active usage, satisfaction levels and trust, especially among marginalised groups in rural areas.


Without such reforms, the digital transformation risks becoming a top-down mandate that exacerbates existing inequalities. But through meaningful action, it could become a force of democratic renewal, giving rural Europe not just connectivity, but a meaningful stake in its future. Bridging the digital divide is an existential challenge the EU must address, without a clear focus the social norms and democratic values forged over the past 150 years could cease to exist.




Edited by Eshal Zahur and Ananya Karthikeyan


Tom Watkins (he/him) is an MA Financial Journalism student at City University of London, and a writer at Political Pandora. He is deeply passionate about politics, macroeconomics, and global affairs, with a particular interest in the global rise of populism.



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Keywords: Digital Divide Europe, Rural Urban Inequality, EU Digital Policy, Smart Cities Infrastructure, Digital Inclusion Strategies, 5G Broadband Access, Rural Connectivity Challenges, Community Network Solutions, Internet Access Disparities, Technology Equity Europe, Liquid Modernity Bauman, Digital Literacy Programs, Postindustrial Regional Decline, Populism and Digital Divide, EU Infrastructure Investment.

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