Data Centre Infrastructure News & Trends

Lightpath expands fibre network for 1GW data centres

Lightpath, a New York-based fibre network and connectivity provider, has announced two new fibre network builds to support hyperscale data centre campuses under construction in Michigan and Wisconsin, USA. The projects will extend the company's fibre network to campuses in Saline, Michigan, and Port Washington, Wisconsin, both of which are planned to exceed 1GW of capacity. Lightpath will provide triverse fibre infrastructure and multi-terabit connectivity to both sites in partnership with an anchor hyperscale customer. The Saline deployment is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026, with the Port Washington build expected to follow in the second quarter of 2027. Supporting gigawatt-scale AI infrastructure Chris Morley, CEO of Lightpath, comments, "Lightpath is playing an increasingly central role in partnering with hyperscalers to build new fibre infrastructure to address AI-driven demand across the US. Fibre infrastructure remains a critical component in the evolving and accelerating AI ecosystem." The new projects follow the company's recent network expansion in Phoenix, eastern Pennsylvania, and Columbus, as well as the development of a long-haul fibre route linking Columbus and Chicago. Tim Haverkate, Chief Commercial Officer at Lightpath, says, "Gigawatt-scale AI campuses need more than fibre in the ground; they need a partner that can engineer an end-to-end connectivity solution across new construction, existing Lightpath network assets, and strategic partner fibre. "Our ability to creatively combine those assets is what allows us to deliver route-diverse, multi-terabit capacity on timelines that match the pace of hyperscale AI development." According to Lightpath, the latest builds form part of its wider investment in fibre infrastructure serving locations with increasing concentrations of hyperscale data centres and AI workloads. For more from Lightpath, click here.

United Infrastructure to develop DC grid connection standards

United Infrastructure, a UK contractor delivering utility and social infrastructure across energy, power, water, and telecoms networks, has been asked by industry stakeholders to lead the development of standardised electricity connection archetypes intended to help accelerate grid connections for UK data centres. The initiative follows discussions between industry representatives and Ofgem on improving the speed and consistency of electricity network connections as demand for AI infrastructure and data storage continues to grow. The work will bring together organisations from across the electricity infrastructure supply chain to develop standard designs for data centres, substations, high-voltage compounds, and other common connection arrangements. The aim is to simplify network design, improve delivery efficiency, and support faster grid connections. Industry collaboration on network delivery The announcement follows a roundtable in Cardiff attended by more than 30 senior representatives from the energy, digital infrastructure, development, and utilities sectors. Discussions covered connection reform, supply chain resilience, decentralised energy, workforce capability, planning, and grid capacity. Akshay Kaul, Director General of Infrastructure at Ofgem, says, "The rapid growth in data centres presents both a challenge and an opportunity for the energy system. "It was encouraging to see how technologies like fuel cells could complement the grid, and these insights will be important in shaping a flexible, resilient, and future-ready energy system." Neil Armstrong, CEO of United Infrastructure, comments, "To be asked to lead on such an important piece of work is a real credit to the engineering teams we have within United Infrastructure. As demand for data centres grows, we are seeing unprecedented interest in our gas-to-power solutions. "Being recognised in this way is testament to the work we are doing to accelerate ‘time to power’ for data centres across the UK, many of which are now frequently classed as nationally significant infrastructure." The programme will initially focus on developing connection archetypes for data centres and associated electricity infrastructure. United Infrastructure says the work will be shared with industry stakeholders to help inform future network delivery and regulatory discussions.

euNetworks launches direct Paris–Milan fibre route

euNetworks, a European bandwidth infrastructure company, has launched a new long-haul fibre route between Paris and Milan, providing what the company says is the most direct connectivity path between the two cities. Spanning 1,057km, the route follows a new path through the Alps, offering an alternative to routes that typically run via Lyon and Marseille. The company says the route has been designed to provide a shorter and more diverse connection between two of Europe's major connectivity hubs, whilst also strengthening wider network connectivity across the region. The announcement follows the launch of euNetworks' direct Frankfurt–Milan route via Zurich in October 2025. Together, the two routes provide shorter connectivity options between Frankfurt and Milan. Customers using the new route can connect to euNetworks' metro networks in Paris and Milan, which include 38 and 18 directly connected data centres respectively, as well as the company's wider network of more than 600 connected data centres across Europe. Route expands European network connectivity According to euNetworks, the new infrastructure is intended to support growing demand for low-latency connectivity driven by AI, cloud services, and data-intensive applications. Marisa Trisolino, CEO of euNetworks, says, "The new route between Paris and Milan is a prime example of our dedication to providing customers with the most direct, diverse connectivity options in Europe. As demand for AI, cloud, and data-driven connectivity rises, shorter routes and diversity become increasingly crucial. "Building a diverse route through the Alps takes a lot of persistence and collaboration with an extensive supplier network. euNetworks was proud to take on this challenge to deliver for our customers and we will continue to expand our network wherever our customers need it the most." For more from euNetworks, click here.

Why network resilience now depends on control​

In this exclusive article for DCNN, Ramtin Rampour (pictured above), Principal Solutions Architect at Opengear, explains why independent management access is becoming an essential element of network resilience as data centre environments grow larger, more distributed, and increasingly complex: Building resilience beyond the production network With data centres supporting ever higher-density workloads and users increasingly expecting the services they use to be available at all times, network resilience is a fundamental priority for operators responsible for keeping critical infrastructure running. Resilience is no longer just about whether infrastructure can withstand disruption; it also depends on whether operations teams can retain control when something goes wrong. As data centre environments become more distributed and security-sensitive, the ability to reach critical systems during failure has become central to recovery. In this context, remote access to networks has become critical. When the network fails, recovery can only begin if teams can still reach the systems they need to fix. A loss of connectivity is no longer only a traffic problem; it can restrict visibility, delay remediation, and leave data centre network teams dependent on the same production environment that is already degraded. For data centre network teams, resilience now depends not only on network availability, but on maintaining a reliable management path when the production network is degraded or unavailable. Redundant links and resilient hardware still have a place in delivering this. However, they cannot guarantee recovery on their own. Teams also need a trusted route into critical infrastructure when the production network is misconfigured, compromised, or unavailable. Without it, a familiar fault that should be routine to resolve can become a prolonged recovery exercise. The control gap This need for control is becoming more urgent as data centre environments grow increasingly complex. Preventing outages remains a strategic priority for owners and operators, even as infrastructure equipment improves. At the same time, modern architectures and external threats continue to introduce risks that must be actively managed. For network teams, the takeaway is clear: component reliability alone does not ensure resilience. Effective recovery planning must also address dependency chains, change-related errors, and potential loss of access. Those dependencies are increasing with AI environments placing heavier demand on traffic inside high-density infrastructure. Edge sites often sit far from specialist engineering teams, whilst hybrid operating models extend the network across owned and hosted environments. Each can lengthen recovery if teams have no independent management path. During an incident, the gap appears at console level. An engineer may understand which change caused the issue, which device needs attention, or which segment should be isolated, but still have no reliable way to act. No amount of bandwidth helps if management access depends on the failed route. This gap is exactly what out-of-band management is designed to address. By providing a dedicated, physically separate network path, it gives operators direct console-level and IP access to critical infrastructure, independent of the production network they may need to repair. Skills, security, and scale Workforce pressure is another factor widening the control gap. In the 2025 ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study, only 55% of respondents agreed their organisations have the resources needed to address security incidents over the next two to three years. For data centre operators, that shortage has direct consequences. When incidents occur, recovery often depends on the same network teams that manage access and infrastructure availability. If those teams are stretched, site visits take longer and recovery becomes harder to coordinate. Stretched data centre network teams need fewer site visits and more repeatable processes. Automation is valuable but it is not a substitute for reachability. A workflow cannot reboot, reconfigure, or isolate a device it cannot access. For large estates, the access model has to be designed before the recovery process can be trusted. Security adds another constraint. Palo Alto Networks’ 2026 Unit 42 Global Incident Response Report found that identity weaknesses played a material role in almost 90% of investigations, whilst 87% of intrusions involved activity across multiple attack surfaces, including networks. For data centre operators, this is a network resilience issue as much as a security one. When disruption occurs, teams still need a trusted way to reach routers, switches, firewalls, and other critical devices, but that access cannot rely on the same production network that may be degraded or exposed to attacker movement. During a cyberattack, management access has to be both available and governed. Speed without strong authentication creates risk. Tight controls with no practical route into the infrastructure slow recovery. Operators need a path that sits outside production traffic, with clear permissions and logs that stand up to audit. Future-proofing through independent access Future-proofing data centre networks should start with control under imperfect conditions. An independent management plane separates the route used to control infrastructure from the route carrying production traffic. When the main network is down or untrusted, it allows teams to inspect devices, roll back changes, isolate segments, and verify service health remotely. The aim is not to prevent every failure; it is to prevent failures from removing the operator’s ability to respond. This capability is valuable from the outset. New infrastructure often needs to be built and secured before normal production connectivity is ready. In edge or remote sites, local intervention can be slow and expensive. In this context, a separate management path allows teams to bring equipment online, test configurations, and reduce dependence on physical access. Once infrastructure is live, the same path can support daily resilience. Network operations teams can intervene earlier when device health deteriorates and recover services without depending on unstable systems. Against this backdrop, resilience becomes less about emergency improvisation and more about disciplined control built into network operations. Data centre networks will always face disruption from misconfiguration, cyber threats, equipment faults, and external events. For operators, resilience depends on whether they can retain control when those disruptions occur. As data centre estates become larger, more distributed, and harder to secure, resilience will depend on a trusted path back into the infrastructure, whether teams are managing a core facility, an edge site, or hosted environments. That control helps teams recover faster and keep critical services always running. For more from Opengear, click here.

Power equipment shortages threaten Scotland DC growth

A shortage of critical power equipment could become one of the biggest barriers to delivering Scotland's planned data centre expansion, according to Opna, a London-based critical power supply market infrastructure company. The comments follow reports that an £8.2 billion AI data centre project in Lanarkshire, led by CoreWeave and DataVita, is unlikely to meet its original target of being operational by 2030. While discussion around Scotland's data centre growth has largely focused on renewable energy generation and grid connections, Opna argues that shortages of transformers, switchgear, cables, and other electrical equipment present an equally significant challenge. According to Montel's curtailment report, Scottish wind farms received around £343 million in payments to switch off in 2025. At the same time, Wood Mackenzie reports average transformer lead times have reached 128 weeks, with some orders extending beyond four years, while prices have increased by 77% since 2019. Grid upgrades and data centres compete for equipment Shilpika Gautam, founder and CEO of Opna, says, "The massive investment in grid upgrades to support Scotland’s data centres is being hindered by a shortage of critical power equipment: transformers, cables, switchgear, etc. Network operators, who buy in bulk and have long-term agreements with manufacturers, get priority for these supplies. "As a result, when a data centre orders equipment, it’s pushed to the back of a four-year waitlist. Grid expansion and data centre development compete for the same resources, while only network operators have reliable access to manufacturers. "Connecting to the grid is the bottleneck, but procuring critical power equipment is the bottleneck of the bottleneck; few are addressing it." Opna points to the scale of electricity network investment already under way in Scotland. SP Energy Networks began a £12 billion programme of grid upgrades across central and southern Scotland in April, including 12 new substations and a supply chain framework worth up to £5.4 billion over 10 years. Meanwhile, SSEN Transmission is investing at least £22 billion in northern Scotland by 2031 and recently announced a further £7.4 billion supply chain framework. Shilpika continues, "The tens of billions of pounds of grid upgrades meant to unblock Scotland’s data centres are being bought from the same transformer and switchgear order books those data centres need. Network operators are bulk buyers with multi-year framework agreements; manufacturers allocate scarce production slots to them first. "A single data centre project arriving with a one-off order goes to the back of a four-year book. [As mentioned,] grid expansion and data centre growth are now competing for the same equipment, and only one side of that competition has a standing seat at the manufacturers’ table." For more from Opna, click here.

AVK to open UK PowerPods manufacturing facility

AVK, a provider of power systems and electrical infrastructure for data centres, has announced plans to open its first standalone UK manufacturing facility in Haydock, supporting production of modular power systems for data centres and AI infrastructure. The site, located in the Liverpool City Region, will assemble the company's modular low- and medium-voltage (LV/MV) PowerPods, which provide pre-engineered power infrastructure for data centres. AVK says the facility represents an initial investment of £3 million and forms part of its UK manufacturing strategy. The company expects the facility to create a range of skilled jobs during its first year, with further recruitment planned as production increases. Roles will include electrical and mechanical installation engineers, plant movement operatives, warehousing staff, graduate positions, and apprenticeships. AVK has also partnered with St Helens College to deliver work placements and Level 3 engineering apprenticeships. The programme will include electrical and mechanical training, with progression routes into higher engineering qualifications. Haydock was selected for its engineering heritage and transport links, with the site located close to Junction 23 of the M6 to support distribution across the UK and Europe. Facility investment brings manufacturing and engineering roles AVK says the new facility reflects increasing investment in the infrastructure required to support AI and hyperscale data centres. Simon Davis, Head of Production Modular Services at AVK, notes, "PowerPods complete our proposition to the data centre market, and Haydock gives us the dedicated home to build them at scale. This is a British business investing in British manufacturing and British skills, in a region with a proud industrial heritage. "The facility will strengthen the UK's ability to power the AI economy while creating real opportunities for local people, apprentices, and graduates for years to come." Lord Stockwood, Minister for Investment, adds, "AVK-SEG’s investment in Haydock is a strong vote of confidence in UK advanced manufacturing and the Liverpool City Region, creating skilled jobs, boosting apprenticeships, and strengthening our role in powering the AI economy." George Woodward, Leader of St Helens Borough Council, similarly states that the investment demonstrates confidence in the borough's engineering heritage and will help create skilled employment while strengthening links between industry and education. For more from AVK, click here.

Durata launches modular power infrastructure system

Durata, a critical power and modular data centre infrastructure provider, has introduced PowerCore, a factory-built power infrastructure system designed to simplify the deployment of data centres and other critical infrastructure projects. The modular system integrates power distribution equipment into a single factory-assembled unit, reducing the need to source and coordinate multiple suppliers before installation on site. According to Durata, the launch comes as demand for AI, cloud computing, and digital infrastructure continues to increase, placing greater pressure on operators to bring new capacity online more quickly. PowerCore combines ring main units (RMUs), transformers, switchgear, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), and busbar infrastructure into a single integrated system manufactured at the company's 80,000ft² (7,432m²) facility in the North East of England. Factory-built approach targets faster deployment Durata says PowerCore is designed, fabricated, and assembled in-house before delivery, reducing on-site construction work and simplifying project management. The company estimates the approach can reduce deployment times by up to 60% while improving quality control and programme certainty. PowerCore is designed to work with equipment from a range of manufacturers, supporting UPS, generator, switchgear, and battery technologies. Durata says the platform can be configured in stacked, linear, or side-by-side layouts to suit individual site requirements and support future expansion. The system is intended for deployments ranging from 10kW to 150kW per rack, making it suitable for hyperscale, colocation, enterprise, edge, artificial intelligence, and high-performance computing environments. Lewis Cobb, Global Director of AI Factories and Modular Data Centres at Durata, comments, "The biggest challenge facing many critical infrastructure projects today is getting power infrastructure at scale delivered quickly enough. "Operators are often managing multiple suppliers, competing lead times, and complex on-site integration programmes. Our PowerCore solution removes that complexity by delivering the complete power stack as a single coordinated system, configured to the customer's requirements and ready for rapid deployment. "By designing, fabricating, and integrating the solution in-house, we can provide greater control over quality, delivery, and programme timelines while giving customers a faster route to deployment. "Data centre operators increasingly need a strategic delivery partner rather than a collection of individual suppliers. We take responsibility for the engineering, fabrication, integration, logistics, and delivery of the entire power infrastructure package. "That reduces project complexity, mitigates risk, and helps customers bring critical infrastructure online faster and with greater confidence." For more from Durata, click here.

Shell renews renewable energy supply deal with Kao Data

Shell Energy UK, a supplier of gas, electricity, and broadband services, has renewed its renewable electricity supply agreement with Kao Data, a data centre developer and operator, extending its partnership with the data centre developer as demand for AI infrastructure continues to grow. Since 2022, Shell Energy has supplied Kao Data with around 140GWh of electricity each year, matched with generation from UK renewable energy assets. From 2025, the agreement has also included electricity generated by the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm, from which Shell Energy Europe offtakes around 20% of the project's total output. According to the companies, the agreement is intended to support the continued development of AI and advanced computing infrastructure while matching electricity consumption with UK-based renewable generation. Kao Data says its data centres are designed for AI and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads, incorporating technologies including direct-to-chip liquid cooling. The company also states that it was the first data centre operator in Europe to transition its backup generators to hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO), which can reduce lifecycle emissions compared with conventional diesel. Partnership continues focus on renewable energy James Lewis, Investment Director at Kao Data, comments, "At Kao Data, sustainability is embedded in everything we do, and developing strategic relationships remains critical to help us achieve our goals. "Our collaboration with Shell Energy has been instrumental in shaping our long-term energy management and decarbonisation strategy. Extending this relationship enables our customers' electricity demand to be matched with certified renewable generation from UK-based sources, reinforcing our commitment to become carbon neutral by 2030." Greg Kavanagh, Head of Industrial & Commercial Sales at Shell Energy, adds, "Shell Energy is delighted to strengthen our collaboration with Kao Data. Our long-standing relationship reflects the alignment between our teams and a shared focus on innovation and sustainability. "By supplying electricity backed by asset-specific renewable certificates, we're supporting Kao Data's pioneering AI infrastructure and its broader efforts to reduce emissions and progress towards net zero emissions. "Together, we're helping to set a benchmark for how energy and technology companies can enable a low-carbon digital future." For more from Kao Data, click here.

Ingeteam supplies BESS for Dublin data centre microgrid

Ingeteam, a Spanish manufacturer of power electronics, has supplied the battery energy storage system (BESS) for a microgrid at Pure Data Centres Group (Pure DC)'s Dublin campus, supporting what is described as Europe's first microgrid designed to power a data centre. The project forms part of the Orion Phase 1 development and includes a 10MW/20MWh BESS, alongside a power plant controller (PPC) and SCADA system. The battery system has been commissioned and integrated with the site's power stations and energy management system. The installation is Ingeteam's third energy storage project in Ireland since the company entered the market in 2020. During construction, the campus had been supported by a temporary 10MW energy centre. The project also incorporates Ingeteam's liquid-cooled INGECON SUN STORAGE C Series technology, creating a 10MVA grid-forming system without power derating. The permanent microgrid will combine three energy centres with on-site battery storage, increasing the campus's total installed capacity to 110MW. A microgrid designed to support future growth The system has been designed to operate independently of the national electricity grid while retaining the ability to connect once additional grid capacity becomes available. Located at the Pure DC campus in Dublin, the on-site energy infrastructure provides dispatchable capacity during the site's initial development phase. It is expected to eventually transition to a hybrid configuration that combines grid electricity with on-site energy generation and storage. As grid capacity becomes an increasing constraint on digital infrastructure projects, particularly those supporting AI and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads, microgrids are expected to play a growing role in enabling new data centre developments across Europe.

Fourth generation of the R&Mfreenet system released

Reichle & De-Massari (R&M), a Swiss manufacturer of cabling and connectivity infrastructure for data centres and networks, is introducing the fourth generation of its standard cabling system, R&Mfreenet. "With R&Mfreenet 4.0, we are beginning a new chapter in network technology," says Matthias Gerber, R&M Market Manager LAN Cabling. "R&Mfreenet 4.0 is more than a portfolio for structured cabling with connectivity, cables, distributors, and outlets; it sets new standards because it considerably simplifies and perfects the planning, installation, and operation of data networks." With the cabling system, R&M is offering a comprehensive modular system for the physical level of local data networks (LAN). The focus is on the renewed and harmonised range of RJ45 connection modules, and R&M is reducing the number of variants of the EL4.0 module generation to two per category. Small parts such as adaptors are no longer required or are now integrated into the module - such as tension relief, colour code, and protective flap. The self-explanatory "Easy Lock" assembly process has also been compressed into a single work step. The R&Mfreenet 4.0 system includes installation and patch cords that "meet the highest-quality requirements". R&M also says it is the only manufacturer to connect the copper wires of the patch cords with corrosion-resistant, strain- and vibration-proofed IDC technology. The plug contacts are coated with a layer of gold (of a specified thickness) "to ensure loss-free signal transmission under all conditions". The installation cables must pass the R&M endurance test before they are approved for use. R&M maintains its own supply chain and ensures that the installation cables are available worldwide at all times. R&M also offers the modular rack family, Freenet, as housing for distributors and equipment. Customers can freely configure the Freenet racks to suit their project. Infrastructure solutions for every commercial use With R&Mfreenet 4.0, customers can set up structured cabling as well as a complete passive infrastructure for modern ethernet/IP networks. The cabling system is suitable for a variety of commercial applications and environments. These include IT, offices and data centres, trade and industry, and WiFi and IP-aided building automation. With the Cat. 8.1 ISO products, networks can be installed that enable high-speed data traffic of up to 40 Gigabit/s. R&Mfreenet 4.0 contains fibre optic solutions for backbones, digital ceilings, Fibre to the Office, and extended and hybrid networks. The cabling system supports Power over Ethernet (PoE) "up to the highest performance level" for the remote power supply of terminal devices and equipment. R&M uses the PowerSafe seal to label specifically tested PoE-stable products. Customers receive lifetime application warranties on R&Mfreenet 4.0 installations. To this end, the network must be installed and tested by qualified specialists in accordance with R&M specifications. Matthias sums it up, stating, "We are proud to be introducing the fourth-generation R&Mfreenet system, which is equipped to meet the challenges of the digital era. "This strategic renewal reduces complexity and the risk of errors. R&Mfreenet 4.0 incorporates continuous innovation and in-depth knowledge of technologies, markets, and customer requirements. "Improved interaction of the components simplifies planning, ordering, storage, work preparation, and installation. We are making design, functions, installation, security, and logistics more user-friendly, coherent, and sustainable, without compromising on quality, technology, and cost-effectiveness." For more from R&M, click here.