Digital public infrastructure (DPI) is the shared foundation that lets people, businesses and governments interact securely at scale. DPI is reshaping how services are delivered. Its usual building blocks are digital identity, payments and data exchange. The concept is not fixed. As digital societies mature, digital post and core registries such as digital addresses are increasingly recognized as foundational building blocks in their own right. DPI only works if people can use it, and access is still uneven. Around 2.2 billion people were offline in 2025. Roughly one in five adults worldwide remains unbanked.

This new Universal Postal Union (UPU) policy brief argues that postal networks are uniquely placed to make DPI practical and inclusive. There are more than 660,000 post offices worldwide, many in underserved areas. Post offices can help people enroll for a digital identity, access payments and financial services, receive official communications securely and access digital addressing, always with a human safety net. Drawing on experience across countries, the brief offers recommendations for governments, postal operators and the UPU.

This Think Tank Brief is currently under consultation with UPU members and other stakeholders. The brief will be published once the consultation is complete.