Data Centre Infrastructure News & Trends

Carrier launches AquaEdge chiller

Carrier, a manufacturer of HVAC, refrigeration, and fire and security equipment, has introduced the AquaEdge 19MV4 centrifugal chiller, designed to support cooling requirements in high-density AI data centres. The system forms part of the company’s QuantumLeap portfolio and is intended for use in environments where increasing compute density and rising temperatures place pressure on existing cooling infrastructure. The chiller is designed to deliver between 2.1 MW and 3.3 MW of cooling capacity, supporting workloads driven by high-performance GPUs. It is also engineered to operate with chilled-water temperatures of up to 35°C and condensing temperatures up to 55°C, aligning with liquid cooling approaches such as direct-to-chip and rear-door heat exchangers. Designed for high-density cooling environments Carrier states that the system uses a variable-speed centrifugal compressor capable of operating between 10% and 100% load, allowing it to respond to fluctuating AI workloads without frequent cycling. Marti Urpinas, Senior Technical Manager, Vertical Markets EMEA, DC Applied at Carrier, comments, “AI workloads are reshaping data centre specifications, pushing our customers to seek greater thermal headroom without sacrificing power stability. "That sounds like a tall order, but the AquaEdge 19MV4 isn’t a ‘standard’ chiller; it’s a variable-speed centrifugal platform that delivers cooling continuity for high-density racks, even as operators push chilled-water temperatures higher to support direct-to-chip architectures.” The unit is designed to restart within 150 seconds following a power interruption, supporting thermal recovery and reducing the risk of overheating in high-density environments. It also incorporates harmonic filtering to limit electrical distortion and protect associated infrastructure, including uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). Carrier reports that the system can achieve a coefficient of performance (COP) of up to 6.75 and an integrated part load value (IPLV) of 11.4 under AHRI test conditions. The chiller is available with refrigerants including R-1234ze and R-515B, supporting compliance with EU F-Gas regulations. Additionally, noise levels are specified at below 80dBA under defined operating conditions. For more from Carrier, click here.

ZIEHL-ABEGG highlights ZAbluefin fan

German ventilation manufacturer ZIEHL-ABEGG has outlined the performance characteristics of its ZAbluefin centrifugal fan, designed for HVAC and air handling unit applications. The fan uses a biomimetic blade design, including a corrugated leading edge and twisted geometry, to improve airflow efficiency. A serrated trailing edge is intended to reduce turbulence and noise while maintaining stable performance under varying airflow conditions. According to the company, the design supports energy efficiency at typical operating points, particularly in environments where airflow may be disrupted. Focus on efficiency and low-noise operation The ZAbluefin fan is designed to reduce sound output, with a focus on minimising tonal noise, making it suitable for noise-sensitive environments. Its performance curve allows for a wider operating range without flow separation, enabling system designers to meet different requirements without oversizing equipment. The fan is also intended to support compliance with current and future efficiency regulations. The product range covers diameters from 250mm to 1,120mm, with airflow capability of up to around 90,000m³/h and static pressure up to approximately 2,500Pa. This allows use across both compact and large-scale HVAC systems. ZIEHL-ABEGG has also developed a one-piece mounting system to support installation. The mount is designed for multiple orientations, including horizontal and vertical configurations, and is intended to simplify installation and reduce component variation. The company states that the combined fan and mounting design aims to improve efficiency, reduce noise, and simplify deployment across a range of HVAC applications. For more from ZIEHL-ABEGG, click here.

Nokia recognised in data centre switching report

Finnish telecommunications company Nokia has been named a Leader and Outperformer in the 2026 data centre switching Radar Report by GigaOm, marking the fifth consecutive year it has received this recognition. The annual report evaluates data centre switching platforms based on technical capabilities, product development plans, and business criteria. In the 2026 edition, Nokia’s Data Center Fabric is positioned in the Innovation/Platform Play category and classified as an Outperformer. GigaOm assessed 10 vendors in the market, comparing their offerings against a range of operational and technical benchmarks. Nokia’s platform received five-star ratings across all key feature areas reviewed, including hardware, switching and routing functionality, operational management, NetDevOps alignment, and traffic security. Focus on automation and AI-ready networking The report also highlights Nokia’s capabilities in areas such as AI-focused networking features and its microservices-based network operating system architecture. Andrew Green, Analyst at GigaOm, says, “GigaOm’s analysis highlights Nokia’s consistent innovation in data centre switching and its strong feature delivery over the past year. "Its Data Center Fabric stands out for the depth of its hardware and software capabilities and strong support for automation that are designed to address the requirements of modern AI-driven data centre environments.” The recognition reflects broader trends in the data centre sector, where organisations are updating infrastructure to support data-intensive workloads and distributed cloud environments. Michael Bushong, Vice President Data Center at Nokia, comments, “Being named a GigaOM data centre switching Leader and Outperformer for the fifth year in a row is validation of two things: "First, we are doing the hard work of providing highly reliable data centre solutions for cloud, enterprise, and service provider customers tasked with building in this AI era. "And second, we are keeping pace with all the innovation being driven by AI. Openness, automation, scale, and reliability are more than buzzwords; they require constant care and feeding, and this recognition represents that.” Nokia’s Data Center Fabric combines switching platforms, the SR Linux network operating system, and an event-driven automation platform to support automated data centre environments. It is designed to be deployed in both new and existing infrastructure and to integrate with a range of network environments. For more from Nokia, click here.

NetAlly launches LinkRunner AT tester

NetAlly, a manufacturer of portable network testing and analysis tools, has introduced a new handheld network link and cable tester, the LinkRunner AT 1500, expanding its LinkRunner range. The device is designed to validate copper network links and cables, supporting troubleshooting, moves, adds, and changes, as well as fault isolation. It is aimed at network technicians, IT teams, and managed service providers. According to NetAlly, the tester enables users to verify connectivity, link speed, VLAN configuration, and Power over Ethernet (PoE) through a single interface, without requiring a laptop. Test results and screenshots can then be uploaded to Link-Live, the company’s cloud-based reporting and analysis platform. Testing capabilities and deployment use The LinkRunner AT 1500 provides automated testing across multiple aspects of a network link. It can identify cable length, detect wiring faults, and indicate the distance to a fault. The device also identifies the nearest network switch and port, and verifies link speed and duplex up to 10 Gig. Additional functions include VLAN validation, connectivity checks to on-network and external devices, and PoE measurement. The tester can assess voltage, wattage, and active wire pairs to confirm power delivery before device installation. Dan Klimke, Director of Product Marketing at NetAlly, says, “The 1500 brings pro-level testing to frontline techs at just £1,140 MSRP. It draws on our 25-plus years of experience building innovative troubleshooting tools for network engineers and technicians. "The goal is simple: put fast, definitive answers in the hands of the technicians closest to the problem so issues get solved at the source, not escalated up the chain. "With Wi-Fi 7 access points, smart building systems, and modern IoT devices increasingly demanding higher power levels that only PoE++ can deliver, the LinkRunner AT 1500 validates full 90W PoE performance to ensure those devices are fully powered upon deployment.” NetAlly states that its products are available through authorised channel partners. The LinkRunner AT 1500 will be demonstrated at DTX 2026, taking place in the UK at Manchester Central on 29–30 April. Live demonstrations will be available at Stand E94 via its UK partner, Full Control Networks.

Brady: Make sure all tools are present. Always.

Have you ever arrived at an intervention without the necessary equipment? Ever lost tools during field interventions? How much time do you spend to make sure all equipment is accounted for and present in your vehicles? Thanks to Brady, now you can confirm vehicle inventories digitally and automatically, highlight any missing assets, and home in on misplaced items to quickly complete your vehicles. How much time could you save? Everything present Instantly see which tools are present in a vehicle and what is missing. Easily save substantial time per vehicle and intervention with automated equipment inventory checks that take only seconds. By labelling equipment with passive, battery-free UHF RFID labels, we can let an RFID reader in your vehicle detect which tools and items are present. The RFID reader can check detected tools versus a list of expected items to confirm a complete vehicle inventory or to highlight missing equipment on your phone. Be fully equipped before leaving for a field intervention. Avoid losing tools after interventions. Don’t waste time checking visually where every piece of equipment is. Just scan, get confirmation in seconds, and drive to your next destination. Click here to find out more. For more from Brady, click here.

Zayo Europe joins GNM-IX network

GNM, a Dutch internet exchange and backbone operator, has announced that network infrastructure provider Zayo Europe has joined its internet exchange, GNM-IX, expanding interconnection capacity across Europe. GNM-IX connects more than 700 autonomous systems (ASNs) and supports over 10.7 Tbps of peak traffic. The platform provides carrier-neutral traffic exchange across several European markets. By joining, GNM notes that Zayo Europe gains direct access to a broad community of carriers, ISPs, cloud platforms, and content networks. Zayo Europe operates a large fibre network across the region, linking major metropolitan areas and data centres. Its backbone infrastructure integrates with GNM’s dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) network, supporting additional interconnection routes and traffic efficiency. Expanded interconnection across Europe The move builds on an existing working relationship between the two organisations. Following earlier transport collaboration, Zayo Europe’s participation in GNM-IX extends technical integration and increases interconnection options across multiple European routes. Ahmed Eidarous, International Development Manager at GNM, says, “We are pleased to welcome Zayo Europe to GNM-IX. Their extensive fibre infrastructure across major European markets naturally complements our distributed internet exchange built on GNM’s DWDM backbone. "By establishing presence in GNM-IX, Zayo Europe gains direct access to a rapidly growing peering ecosystem while enabling additional interconnection opportunities for networks across our platform.” GNM and Zayo Europe say they will continue to work together on further initiatives focused on connectivity and network resilience across Europe. For more from GNM, click here.

hi-tequity reports 5GW modular power delivery

hi-tequity, a provider of mission-critical infrastructure for data centres, says it has delivered 5GW of data centre infrastructure over a two-and-a-half-year period, alongside completing more than 200 projects. The company states that this activity includes deployments structured around 100MW data centre blocks, reflecting increasing demand from hyperscale and AI-driven workloads. Operations have also expanded across 25 US states during this period, as demand for capacity continues to grow. Industry forecasts highlight the scale of that demand. The International Energy Agency reports that electricity use from data centres could double by 2026, driven largely by AI workloads. At the same time, CBRE data indicates vacancy rates in major US markets have fallen below 3%, with power availability emerging as a primary constraint on new developments. A focus on power and deployment timelines hi-tequity attributes its recent boost in activity to a focus on power availability, supply chain coordination, and construction timelines. The company states it secures electrical capacity before site acquisition, while also working with manufacturing partners to support equipment supply, including transformers, switchgear, uninterruptible power systems, and cooling infrastructure. It also reports the use of modular and prefabricated approaches to reduce construction timelines for large-scale deployments. As data centre design requirements evolve, particularly for AI applications, the company highlights increasing rack densities exceeding 30kW, alongside higher cooling and power redundancy requirements. Ryne Friedman, Associate at hi-tequity, comments, “The bottleneck in AI infrastructure is no longer compute; it’s power and deployment speed. "Our ability to deliver 100MW in nine months and scale to 5GW of infrastructure demonstrates that the industry needs a fundamentally different approach to building data centres - one that starts with power and ends with execution certainty.”

Legrand acquires TES in data centre push

Legrand, a French multinational infrastructure products manufacturer, has acquired TES - including TES Power, a provider of power distribution equipment and modular electrical rooms for data centres - as part of its ongoing expansion in the data centre sector. The deal forms part of Legrand’s wider acquisition strategy, which also includes the purchase of Chinese rack manufacturer Keydak. The company says the latest transactions are intended to strengthen its position in data centre infrastructure, particularly in compute environments and critical power systems. TES, headquartered in Cookstown, Northern Ireland, employs around 300 people and reports annual revenue of £72 million. The business supplies power distribution equipment to the European data centre market, as well as the UK and Irish utility sectors. In recent years, TES has expanded its manufacturing capacity, including the opening of a 300,000ft² (27,870m²) facility in County Derry. The site supports production of low-voltage power distribution equipment for data centre and infrastructure projects. An acquisition supporting data centre growth plans Legrand states that TES generates a significant proportion of its revenue from data centres, aligning with its focus on digital infrastructure. This acquisition of TES, alongside Keydak, adds an estimated €285 million (£248.8 million) in combined annual revenue. Benoît Coquart, Chief Executive Officer at Legrand, says, “These two new transactions strengthen our position in the data centre market, both in compute infrastructure (around the chip) and in critical power. "With these announcements, a total of four acquisitions have been announced this year, all in data centres, which accounted for 26% of our revenue at the end of 2025.” TES says it will continue to operate from its existing sites in Cookstown and County Derry, maintaining its current workforce and manufacturing operations. Brian Taylor, CEO of TES, notes, “Joining Legrand is a landmark moment for TES. Over the past number of years, we have scaled our operations at an incredible pace, and this acquisition is a testament to the hard work and expertise of our entire team. "Legrand’s global reach and market-leading position in the electrical sector provide the perfect platform for TES to further expand our international presence.” Noel McCracken, Managing Director of TES, adds, “Our mission has always been to provide innovative, high-quality engineering for critical infrastructure. "With the support of Legrand, we can accelerate our investment in state-of-the-art manufacturing and continue to lead the way in both the water and power critical infrastructure markets.”

STL launches 'India's first' hollow core fibre cable

STL, an optical and digital systems company, has introduced a hollow core fibre (HCF) cable in India, designed for data centre networks and high-frequency transmission environments. The development focuses on reducing latency and supporting higher bandwidth demands in modern data centres, hyperscale facilities, and network infrastructure. Unlike conventional optical fibre, which transmits light through a solid glass core, hollow core fibre uses an air-filled core. This allows signals to travel at higher speeds, with STL stating performance improvements of around 46%, alongside reduced latency and signal loss. Noting that it is the first company to develop and manufacture this type of cable in India, STL says it is expanding its optical connectivity portfolio in response to increasing demand from AI-driven and high-performance computing environments. The cable also incorporates a hybrid design intended to support a range of network requirements. This includes hollow core fibre for low-latency transmission, G.654.E fibre for long-distance, low-loss performance, and G.657.A1 fibre to support flexible deployment across different network types. Hybrid design supports varied network needs The hybrid architecture reflects the growing complexity of data centre and telecoms infrastructure, where operators require a mix of performance characteristics within a single cable system. STL reports that the design supports both high-speed data transmission and broader network coverage, particularly in large-scale or distributed environments. The company also states that it holds more than 780 patents and continues to focus on optical technologies aimed at increasing network capacity and efficiency. Badri Gomatam, CTO at STL, says, "Our R&D focus has always been on solving the most complex challenges of the future. With the launch of [this] Hollow Core Fibre cable, we are providing the 'speed-of-light' infrastructure required for the AI revolution. "This is a defining moment that demonstrates our capability to innovate and empower hyperscalers and data centres on a global scale.” For more from STL, click here.

JSM constructing power infrastructure for Maincubes Berlin DC

JSM Group, a provider of integrated utility infrastructure solutions, has commenced construction of the high-voltage substation and cable route for Maincubes’ new data centre campus in Nauen, Germany. The start of the works follows the granting of a building permit for the energy infrastructure and represents a major milestone in the delivery of the main Hub Berlin campus. JSM is responsible for the delivery of the companioned 110kV cable route and substation - critical components that will underpin the campus’s long-term energy security and scalability. The approximately six kilometre cable route will transport electricity from renewable energy sources via the modern E.DIS distribution network to the site’s 110kV substation. Enabling high-performance infrastructure for cloud and AI The new campus has been designed with a grid connection capacity of 200 megawatts - with further expansion options available - to support high-performance computing environments, including advanced AI workloads and complex data analytics. Maincubes selected Nauen as the site for its new campus due to the Berlin-Brandenburg region’s stable energy supply, strong renewable generation from wind and photovoltaics, and favourable conditions for sustainable growth. Oliver Menzel, CEO of Maincubes, comments, “The start of construction of the substation is the next visible step on our journey towards Hub Berlin. "In Nauen, a state-of-the-art data centre location is being created: regionally rooted and internationally connected. In doing so, we are consistently continuing the success story of Maincubes and reinforcing our commitment to sustainable, energy efficient, and resilient digital infrastructure.” JSM leadership perspective Michael Booth, CEO of JSM Group, says, “This project highlights JSM Group’s capability to deliver complex, high-voltage energy infrastructure for mission critical environments. "Data centres of this scale demand absolute reliability, technical excellence, and close collaboration with our partners. We are proud to be playing a central role in enabling Maincubes’ expansion in the Berlin region and supporting the delivery of sustainable, high-performance digital infrastructure.” Michael Wiebersinsky, Mayor of the City of Nauen, adds, “With the new data centre campus, our region is developing into a highly modern location where future innovations can emerge. From a sustainability perspective, it gives me confidence that Nauen will be a reliable partner for the operating company, Maincubes.” Hanjo During, Managing Director of E.DIS Netz, notes, “With the campus currently under development, we will connect a particularly high-performance data centre to our regional electricity distribution network. With the campus planned here in Nauen, the connected capacity will increase significantly in the future.” Through the Nauen development, Maincubes says it continues to expand its presence in the capital region, building on the "successful operation of its first Berlin data centre, BER01."