North Macedonia's AI Future Starts With Infrastructure

By Aleksandra Todorovikj · 16 October 2026 at 16:28

Vladimir Stojkovski of GoNet Communications discusses the networks, data centres and technical investment needed to support artificial intelligence in North Macedonia. Vladimir Stojkovski Artificial intelligence may be transforming how businesses operate, but its growth depends on infrastructure that rarely receives the same attention as the technology itself. Reliable networks, cloud services, computing capacity and secure data connections all play a role in making AI systems accessible and dependable. For North Macedonia, the challenge is not simply adopting more AI applications. It is also developing the infrastructure needed to support them, particularly as businesses become more dependent on cloud platforms and data-intensive services. In an interview with AI Balkans, Vladimir Stojkovski of GoNet Communications, a Skopje-based telecommunications provider, discusses the country's readiness for local AI infrastructure, the growing importance of data sovereignty, and the changing role of telecommunications companies. He argues that North Macedonia has opportunities to develop specialised cloud and AI services without immediately attempting to compete with the world's largest data centre markets. The more realistic starting point, he says, is supporting local businesses with practical AI applications and infrastructure suited to their needs. How would you describe GoNet's position today, and what are the company's main areas of operation? GoNet is a telecommunications company focused on providing reliable and modern communication solutions for the business sector. With our own fibre-optic infrastructure and IP network, as well as connections to international telecommunications operators, we can provide high-quality internet and network services while maintaining a high degree of control over our infrastructure. Our portfolio includes dedicated internet access, fibre-optic connectivity between business locations, private networks, VPN solutions, VoIP telephony, cloud services, server infrastructure, network security and monitoring systems. Our goal is to be a long-term technology partner for businesses, providing solutions tailored to their actual needs rather than simply supplying an internet connection. Why is telecommunications infrastructure so important for the development of artificial intelligence? When discussing artificial intelligence, most attention goes to software and what it can do. But behind every AI application is substantial infrastructure. AI systems depend on transferring large volumes of data, accessing server resources and maintaining stable communication between users, applications and data centres. Without reliable telecommunications infrastructure, even the most advanced AI solutions cannot reach their full potential. I believe telecommunications operators therefore have an important role in AI development. We provide the connectivity that supports an increasing share of the modern digital economy. How do GoNet's fibre-optic network and advanced connectivity solutions support AI and cloud services? The main advantages of fibre-optic infrastructure are high capacity, stability and low latency. At GoNet, we develop network solutions that enable reliable communication between multiple business locations, server systems and cloud platforms. Through dedicated internet connections and private Layer 2 and VPN connectivity, clients can obtain infrastructure tailored to their requirements rather than relying exclusively on standard internet packages. Continuous network monitoring is particularly important. It allows us to identify problems promptly and maintain service quality. As AI and cloud technologies grow, I expect these solutions to become increasingly important for businesses. Are business customers changing what they expect from telecommunications providers? We can already see a change, although I would not say that every new requirement is directly related to artificial intelligence. Companies are increasingly moving business processes to cloud platforms, using centralised applications and exchanging larger volumes of data between locations. This makes stability, symmetrical internet capacity, backup connections and communication security more important. In the past, the main question for many companies was how fast their internet connection was. Today, discussions increasingly focus on the overall availability and reliability of their infrastructure. I expect AI adoption to accelerate this trend further. How prepared is North Macedonia to host AI systems locally? North Macedonia has a foundation for further development of cloud and data centre services, but we need to distinguish between conventional hosting and infrastructure designed for advanced AI systems. The local market already offers options for standard business applications, virtual servers and private cloud solutions. Training large AI models, however, requires considerably more specialised infrastructure, particularly GPU servers, advanced cooling systems, reliable electricity supplies and substantial network capacity. I believe the realistic starting point for the Macedonian market is developing local AI solutions for business applications, including the use of already-trained models, automation and data processing. We do not need to immediately build infrastructure for the world's largest AI models to create real value for the domestic economy. Will the demand for local AI infrastructure and data storage in North Macedonia increase? Absolutely. I believe local infrastructure will become increasingly important, particularly for companies and institutions working with sensitive or business-critical data. International cloud platforms offer considerable advantages, but there are situations where storing and processing data locally provides greater control, makes certain regulatory requirements easier to meet and reduces dependence on external systems. It is important to emphasise that local hosting d…