In this article, Dame Damevski, international markets director at e-Boks, explores the urgent digital transformation of the postal sector. He examines the pressing challenges and emerging opportunities facing postal organizations, the critical role of secure digital post solutions, and the global collaboration needed to drive meaningful innovation.
As traditional mail services decline and digital communication accelerates, the industry stands at a pivotal moment – will posts adapt or risk becoming obsolete?
The postal industry has been at a breaking point for the past two decades. The comfortable, predictable world of physical mail is vanishing, leaving the postal sector struggling to redefine its relevance.
The reality is challenging: without a pivot to a digital postal mandate, most will be left behind. Governments, regulators and postal stakeholders must wake up to the urgency of the situation and act decisively. This is not a slow evolution; it is a revolution. At the heart of this transformation lies the need for a coordinated international approach.
As discussions within the Universal Postal Union (UPU) evolve, there is a growing recognition of the importance of global collaboration, regulatory modernization and innovative service models to ensure that posts remain relevant in the digital age.
The death of traditional mail – and what comes next
Single-piece mail volume has fallen more than 55% for domestic mail and more than 85% for international, yet most postal systems still cling to outdated service models, acting as if mail volumes were unchanged. The world has moved on – postal operators must do the same.
The choice is simple: adapt or disappear. The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the decline of letter volumes, making it painfully clear that clinging to old models isn’t sustainable. Posts need to rethink their purpose, shifting from traditional mail distribution to becoming the backbone of trusted omnichannel communication infrastructure that serves citizens, businesses and governments alike, with many already exploring digital solutions to facilitate this transition.
The regulatory stranglehold: an industry in chains?
Postal regulations built for a bygone era suffocate innovation. Operators remain constrained by costly, outdated service mandates, despite mail volumes collapsing. The utility of letters has diminished to the point where their mandatory delivery is more about tradition than necessity.
Governments must stop fixing at the edges. The future of postal services lies in fully integrating digital mail into future relevant postal acts and universal service frameworks that align with ongoing efforts to modernize the industry. Digital postal platforms like e-Boks have shown the paths of modernized, relevant communication. Either embrace digital-first solutions for the future of post or be left behind in a crumbling postal system.
The business model crisis: balancing logistics and digital infrastructure
Postal operators have focused on logistics and e-commerce fulfillment, a sector that is fiercely competitive and evolving quickly, with only a few able to carve out profitable success. Competing with global couriers and platform giants is a tough challenge, and most struggle to scale sustainably, as highlighted by recent discussions on key challenges and solutions within the industry.
To stay relevant, posts must reinforce their role as national communication infrastructure, ensuring they remain essential for governments, businesses and citizens. While e-commerce delivery remains a big part of the future relevance, it is the postal sector’s role in digital authentication and secure digital communication that will define its long-term relevance and societal mandate.
The postal sector must enable a single-access, omnichannel approach to communication, consolidating fragmented and scattered digital communication into secure platforms that protect citizens, institutions and businesses, ensuring its infrastructure remains indispensable in the digital era. Postal operators must seek partnerships and cooperation across the major sending customers, such as government institutions and businesses, to co-create and ensure their role in the digital-first societies.
Overcoming public skepticism: trust and inclusion in the digital shift
The success of digital services centers on public trust and acceptance. While most citizens enthusiastically embrace digital solutions, others – particularly the elderly and those in remote or underserved areas – remain cautious.
It is essential, therefore, that resources be channeled to maximize societal benefit, ensuring that vulnerable communities receive adequate support, whether in postal services or other more critical sectors like healthcare and social welfare. Governments must prioritize investments where they will have the greatest impact, and postal operators must take the lead in educating the public and providing accessible, secure and user-friendly solutions.
Above all, this transition must be inclusive, guided by efficiency, sustainability and genuine community needs – leaving no one behind. The 20+ years of Denmark’s postal digitalization journey serve as a powerful example of how a well-executed digital transformation can modernize services while maintaining public trust. It proves that when done right, digital postal infrastructure becomes an enabler – not a barrier – to a better, more efficient system for all.
A call to action: the role of the UPU and global postal leadership
The industry’s future lies in becoming a digital-relevant, omnichannel enabler of communication and identity. This requires bold leadership, decisive regulatory reform and a commitment to building the necessary digital infrastructure. Governments, operators and technology partners must unite to accelerate this transformation.
When UPU member countries met in February 2025 to discuss the future of the postal sector and endorse the 2026-2029 Dubai Postal Strategy, the urgency to act had never been greater. The world is moving fast, and postal operators must not be left behind.
The UPU must transform into a global hub for postal innovation – one that unites postal operators, technology providers and regulators to accelerate digital transformation and establish a forward-looking framework for secure, trusted and efficient postal services in the digital age – one that secures financing for the future.
This transformation requires bold action and collective commitment from UPU member states, ensuring that global postal infrastructure remains relevant and futureproof. It is up to national operators and policymakers to recognize that embracing digital transformation is a path forward.
The time for courageous, decisive action is now. Those who fail to act decisively will find themselves irrelevant in the digital-first era.
Dame Damevski is the international markets director at e-Boks, a leading provider of secure digital postal solutions and an enabler of modern digital postal ecosystems. With deep expertise in postal innovation and international markets, he works closely with postal operators, governments and industry stakeholders to advance the digital transformation of the sector. Through his work, Damevski advocates for secure, efficient and scalable digital communication solutions that strengthen the role of postal services in a digital-first world. His strategic insights and hands-on approach help shape future-ready postal ecosystems, ensuring they remain relevant, trusted and indispensable in the evolving global landscape.