Data Centre Infrastructure News & Trends

Huawei announces Wi-Fi 7 patent licensing rates

Chinese multinational technology company Huawei has announced that its patent licensing royalty rate for WiFi 7 technologies would be set at $0.5 (£0.38) per unit for Wi Fi 7 compliant devices. This announcement, Huawei says, underscores its dedication to fostering a healthy innovation ecosystem through fair, transparent, and predictable licensing practices. As the latest generation of Wi-Fi technologies, Wi-Fi 7 delivers dramatically higher throughput, lower latency, and greater reliability. Serving as much more than just a connectivity upgrade, it lays the groundwork for the next wave of digital transformation and opens up new possibilities for interactions between people and intelligent systems. As a leading contributor to the IEEE 802.11 standards family, Huawei has played a pivotal role in shaping WiFi 7 (802.11be) technologies and holds one of the largest portfolios of declared essential patents for WiFi 7. The company has invested a decade of research and substantial resources into developing the core technologies that make Wi-Fi 7 truly next generation. Huawei has thus emerged as a leader in the global Wi-Fi licensing landscape, and its patent license agreements had covered over 1.2 billion consumer electronic devices worldwide by the end of 2024. With today's announcement, Huawei provides clear advance notice of its Wi‑Fi 7 royalty rate, which is $0.5 (£0.38) per unit for consumer‑grade Wi‑Fi 7 devices. Implementers may obtain licenses either through bilateral agreements or via patent pools, on FRAND (Fair, Reasonable, and Non-Discriminatory) terms. Support for both Wi-Fi 6 and 7 In July 2022, Huawei joined the Sisvel WiFi 6 patent pool as a founding member, concurrently becoming both a licensor and a licensee of the pool. The patent pool is a valuable option for the industry which in large provides a "one-stop" licensing solution under a transparent and fair framework with lower transactions costs. Huawei also maintains a strong and proven Wi-Fi 6 patent portfolio, which has been widely recognised and licensed across the industry. This legacy of innovation across successive generations further demonstrates Huawei's long-term commitment to advancing wireless connectivity. Building on this success, Huawei has extended its participation to the Sisvel WiFi Multimode pool as a founding member, offering licensees a single, streamlined platform for accessing essential patents across both WiFi 6 and WiFi 7 generations. Alan Fan, Huawei's Chief Intellectual Property Officer, comments, "Through these initiatives, Huawei continues to facilitate collaborative licensing models that balance the interests of innovators and implementers, further reinforcing its leadership in shaping a transparent and efficient global Wi-Fi licensing environment." For more information on Huawei's WiFi 7 licensing program, click here to visit the webpage. For more from Huawei, click here.

Opna named World Economic Forum 'Technology Pioneer'

London-based Opna has been named a 2026 Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum (WEF), joining the organisation's annual list of 100 companies recognised for developing technologies with the potential to influence industries and markets. The company, which focuses on the procurement and financing of critical power equipment, will participate in the Technology Pioneers programme, with the first meeting of the 2026 cohort scheduled to take place in China later this month. Opna works with data centre operators, renewable energy developers, and industrial organisations across Europe, helping them source and finance equipment including transformers, switchgear, high-voltage cables, and generators. According to the company, its platform combines equipment verification, supplier matching, and financing through a single data platform designed to improve visibility of manufacturing capacity and procurement options. Focus on power equipment supply chains The announcement coincides with the publication of a new industry blueprint from Opna founder and CEO Shilpika Gautam, which examines challenges affecting the supply of critical power infrastructure across Europe. The report argues that growing demand from sectors including data centres, renewable energy, and grid infrastructure is placing increasing pressure on power equipment supply chains. Opna identifies four key challenges affecting project delivery: differences between manufacturing and project timelines, payment structures that require significant upfront deposits, mismatches between available manufacturing capacity and changing demand patterns, and repeated verification processes for equipment suppliers. The company argues that improved coordination between manufacturers, developers, financiers, and infrastructure operators could help address these issues. Shilpika says, “More factories are coming, and that is a good thing, but they will not start delivering in time to close the power equipment supply squeeze that everyone from data centres to renewable developers and critical facilities [...] are facing. “We face a very real and worsening risk of funded projects stalling, clean energy generation not making it onto the grid, and the window to ramp off fossil fuels, electrify our economies, and create growth, resilience, and security across Europe narrowing. “I see a clear solution: we need a coordination layer for the industry, not just new physical supply - a foundational backbone that holds verification, matching, and financing on the same data, built with the visibility, financing depth, and platform capability that can turn this industry into a healthy market.” The blueprint includes commentary from a number of energy and infrastructure specialists, including representatives from Ember, Ørsted, Power System Partners, and other organisations involved in energy systems and grid infrastructure. Growing demand for grid infrastructure Opna says increasing demand for electricity infrastructure is being driven by data centre growth, electrification projects, renewable energy deployment, and wider grid modernisation efforts. The company cites long lead times for high-voltage power equipment and increasing pressure on manufacturing capacity as key challenges facing developers and infrastructure operators. According to Opna, its platform is designed to help organisations access qualified suppliers, secure manufacturing capacity, and align financing arrangements with project delivery schedules. The company says regulatory developments in the UK, EU (including Ireland), and the United States are placing greater emphasis on demonstrating access to equipment supply as part of infrastructure development and grid connection processes.

Oriole, AMD to advance photonic AI networking

Oriole Networks, a London-based photonic networking startup, has announced further progress in its collaboration with AMD, an American multinational semiconductor company, as part of the UK's Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) Scaling Inference Lab programme, including plans to deploy what the company describes as the "world's first" large-scale AI system based on a pure photonic network. The project combines Oriole's PRISM photonic networking technology with AMD Instinct GPUs and AMD EPYC CPUs to explore new approaches to AI infrastructure that aim to reduce latency, improve performance, and lower energy consumption. According to the companies, the collaboration has been underway for more than a year and is focused on addressing networking challenges associated with increasingly large AI deployments. Oriole's PRISM platform replaces traditional electronic switches within the network core with optical circuit-switching technology, enabling data to be transmitted using photons rather than electrical signals. The company says this approach is intended to reduce network power consumption and minimise latency between computing resources, helping to improve the efficiency of AI inference workloads. AMD is providing processor and accelerator hardware for the project, alongside technical support to develop and evaluate large-scale AI networking models. James Regan, CEO of Oriole, notes, "A year ago, we were proving the physics. Today, we’re proving the business. "Our collaboration with AMD has moved from concept to deployment to a system an order of magnitude larger, and the data proves this is already driving performance increases at pace. "This is what it looks like when photonic networking stops being a research curiosity and starts being the foundation of how serious AI infrastructure gets built." Exploring alternatives to traditional networking Oriole says PRISM has been designed to operate independently of specific processor or accelerator vendors, allowing it to be deployed across different AI hardware platforms. The company states that the technology can reduce the reliance on conventional electronic networking equipment while also lowering cooling requirements and associated water consumption. Madhu Rangarajan, Corporate Vice President, Compute and Enterprise AI Business at AMD, says, "AMD is excited to collaborate with Oriole on the ARIA Scaling Inference Lab cluster. "Oriole’s AI backend networking with nanosecond optical circuit switching represents a fundamentally different way to connect accelerators at scale. We are helping to validate how photonic fabrics can work alongside AMD compute to deliver the low-latency, high-bandwidth connectivity that AI inference workloads demand." The deployment also represents the first commercial implementation of Oriole's technology, which the company says has progressed from research and development to production readiness within three years. Suraj Bramhavar, Programme Director at ARIA, comments, "Meeting the demands for modern AI requires rapidly identifying ways to improve the performance and cost-efficiency of large-scale AI clusters. "ARIA is thrilled to collaborate with Oriole and AMD to demonstrate the benefits of this new technology, and it’s exactly the type of collaboration, between innovative startups and industry leaders, that the Scaling Inference Lab was designed to foster." Oriole says wider deployment of its photonic networking technology is planned from 2027 as demand grows for infrastructure capable of supporting large-scale AI workloads.

Vertiv unveils high-capacity rack platform

Vertiv, a global provider of critical digital infrastructure, has introduced the Rack Extreme, a rack platform designed to support high-density computing, AI workloads, and next-generation IT deployments. The new rack has been developed to accommodate increasingly large and heavy computing equipment while supporting airflow management, cable organisation, and deployment flexibility within data centre environments. According to Vertiv, the platform is intended to address growing infrastructure requirements driven by higher compute densities and the adoption of AI applications. Giuseppe Leto, Senior Director, IT Systems at Vertiv, says, "The Vertiv Rack Extreme reflects our expanded capabilities in rack and enclosure designs for high-density and AI-driven deployments. "The platform also draws on Vertiv’s long-standing rack engineering expertise, including solutions historically developed under the Knürr brand, to support scalable next-generation IT infrastructure." The Rack Extreme is available in multiple sizes and configurations, allowing operators to tailor deployments to specific application requirements. The units are shipped fully assembled and are designed to integrate with a range of compatible cable management and airflow optimisation accessories. Designed for high-density deployments Vertiv says the Rack Extreme offers both static and dynamic load ratings of up to 2,045kg, enabling it to support high-density equipment installations while maintaining the same load capacity when being moved or when stationary. The company states that this provides greater flexibility during deployment and infrastructure changes, particularly in environments where heavy equipment must be repositioned after installation. The rack features a welded frame construction, integrated cable management options, high open-area mesh doors, flexible mounting rails, vertical cable bars, and corner mounting bars for rack power distribution units. Vertiv has also incorporated shipping features designed to simplify installation, including shock-absorbing pallets and reusable ramps intended to reduce the risk of equipment damage during transportation and deployment. The Rack Extreme has been designed to integrate with Vertiv's wider portfolio of data centre infrastructure products, including uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), rack PDUs, rear-door heat exchanger systems, coolant distribution units, and KVM management platforms. For more from Vertiv, click here.

GNM expands network presence into North America

GNM, a Dutch internet exchange (IX) and backbone operator, has expanded its network into North America with the launch of new points of presence (PoPs) in Miami and Ashburn, Virginia. The company has deployed its first US infrastructure at Equinix MI1 in Miami and Equinix DC1–DC15 and DC21 in Ashburn, creating a dedicated transatlantic platform linking North America with GNM's European backbone network. According to the company, the new sites are configured as a protected East Coast ring and are fully integrated with its existing infrastructure, allowing customers to exchange traffic across a single operational environment. The expansion marks GNM's first infrastructure deployment in the United States and is intended to support organisations seeking connectivity between North American and European markets. New PoPs strengthen transatlantic connectivity The Miami PoP is located within Equinix MI1, a major connectivity hub for subsea cable systems linking North America, Latin America, and Europe. Meanwhile, the Ashburn deployment places GNM within Northern Virginia, one of the world's largest data centre and interconnection markets. Both facilities connect directly to GNM-IX, the company's IX platform, which supports more than 700 connected networks and peak traffic exceeding 10.95Tbps. GNM says the new locations will allow network operators, carriers, cloud providers, and content platforms to access its interconnection and transport services through a single provider, while simplifying traffic exchange between continents. For North American organisations, the expansion provides direct access to European connectivity opportunities without requiring infrastructure deployments in Europe. European operators, meanwhile, gain direct access to two major US interconnection markets. Alex Surkov, Head of Business Development at GNM, says, "Launching in Miami and Ashburn is a defining milestone for GNM. "We have created our first North American platform and directly connected it to our European backbone. This gives customers on both sides of the Atlantic something genuinely valuable: simpler interconnection, direct access to new traffic flows, and the ability to grow internationally through one integrated network ecosystem." GNM now operates more than 90 PoPs globally, with infrastructure spanning Europe, Asia, and North America. For more from GNM, click here.

AFL: Why AI infrastructure planning is changing

In recent years, AI infrastructure discussions centred predominantly on training clusters. Industry attention focused on larger models, sizeable GPU estates, dense scale-out fabrics, and the synchronisation demands created by collective communication across thousands of accelerators. In 2026, however, deployment patterns point to inference as the dominant operational AI workload. This transition introduces infrastructure behaviours that extend beyond the assumptions of traditional training environments. While much of the industry conversation still focuses on accelerators and compute scale, less attention is given to the implications for network architecture, optical connectivity, and physical infrastructure design. In response, AFL, a manufacturer of fibre optic cables and connectivity equipment, has developed a whitepaper series to help address that gap. The first paper, Architecting AI at Scale: From Training Clusters to Inference-Driven Infrastructure, introduces six workload categories representing the evolving AI deployment landscape. These include synchronous training fabrics, throughput inference systems, disaggregated reasoning architectures, heterogeneous decode environments, context-centric infrastructure, and workflow orchestration platforms. The paper provides practical insight into evolving network behaviours, optical requirements, and multi-domain infrastructure planning. Future instalments will examine the engineering implications in greater depth. Click here to register to receive email notifications as soon as each paper in the series becomes available. For more from AFL, click here.

Arista launches 1.6T networking platforms for AI fabrics

Arista Networks, a provider of cloud and AI networking systems, has introduced the 7060XE7 Series, a new portfolio of 1.6T networking platforms designed for rack-scale AI infrastructure. The launch reflects growing demand for networking architectures capable of supporting increasingly large AI deployments, as training and inference environments scale from thousands to hundreds of thousands of accelerators. According to Arista, the new platforms are designed to support both scale-up and scale-out AI fabrics across air-cooled, liquid-cooled, and hybrid environments. The company says the 7060XE7 Series is intended to address the density, power, and thermal requirements associated with large AI clusters, whilst also enabling greater compute density within a given power envelope. Tyson Lamoreaux, Senior Vice President, Cloud and AI Networking at Arista Networks, comments, "The AI era requires a shift in how we think about the network. It is no longer a standalone layer of infrastructure, but a tightly integrated component of the AI supersystem. "With the 7060XE7 Series, we are delivering massive-scale 1.6T systems that combine world-class reliability and the differentiation of EOS with liquid cooling and low-power optics to help our customers build AI fabrics designed for maximum performance and power efficiency." Designed for large-scale AI deployments The 7060XE7 Series includes fixed-switch platforms and configurable rack-scale systems designed to support a range of AI workloads and infrastructure requirements. According to Arista, the systems provide low-latency connectivity and intelligent packet buffering to manage the traffic patterns associated with AI training and inference workloads. The platforms also support a range of EOS features aimed at improving resilience, congestion management, and operational visibility within AI environments. The portfolio comprises three main configurations: • 7060XE7-64PS and 7060XE7-64PRS rack switches, offering 64 1.6T ports in an air-cooled 4RU design• 7060XE7-64PRS-RV3-L, a liquid-cooled 2OU platform designed for high-density AI clusters• 7060XE7-128PE, providing 128 800G ports in an air-cooled 4RU form factor The systems use 224G and 100G SerDes technologies, depending on configuration, and support Linear Pluggable Optics (LPO), which Arista says can reduce interconnect power consumption by around 60%. Industry support for 1.6T ethernet Several major cloud providers have provided statements supporting the development of higher-capacity ethernet infrastructure for AI environments. Gaya Nagarajan, Vice President of Infrastructure at Meta, says, "Arista’s 1.6T platforms and liquid-cooled designs align with our focus on open, scalable AI fabrics that meet the requirements of next-generation training and inference." Rani Borkar, President, Azure Hardware Systems and Infrastructure at Microsoft, notes, "Our collaboration with Arista on the 1.6T ethernet interface helps enable the next generation of AI clusters with greater interconnect capacity for Azure Maia, Microsoft's AI accelerator, and Fairwater, Microsoft's extreme-scale AI data centres, while preserving operational simplicity across our infrastructure." Mahesh Thiagarajan, Executive Vice President, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, adds, "Arista Networks’ 1.6T platforms provide the throughput, determinism, and stability needed for our RDMA-based AI fabrics, while Arista EOS delivers operational consistency and performance at scale across our global AI infrastructure." The 7060XE7 Series is also supported through collaborations with AMD and Broadcom, with the platforms utilising Broadcom's Tomahawk 6 ethernet switching silicon. Arista expects the first systems in the portfolio to become available during Q4 2026, with additional models scheduled for release during Q1 2027. For more from Arista, click here.

Raltron launches compact OCXOs for DC timing

Raltron, a manufacturer of frequency control components, has announced the OX7000 Series of oven-controlled crystal oscillators (OCXOs), developed to provide a timing option for network interface cards (NICs) and other space-constrained data centre hardware. The OX7000 Series is designed to support networking applications requiring stable, low-phase-noise reference clocks while maintaining a compact footprint. The devices are housed in a 9mm x 7mm surface-mount package, making them suitable for use in NIC cards, servers, storage systems, and network switching platforms. The company says the oscillators are intended to help designers address challenges around board space, power consumption, and system cost as networking and data centre infrastructure continues to scale. Designed for networking and data centre hardware The OX7000 Series operates from a single 3.3V supply and consumes between 0.35W and 0.5W during steady-state operation. During warm-up at 25°C, power consumption ranges from 0.8W to 0.9W. According to Raltron, the devices combine OCXO stability with low phase noise in a package aimed at high-volume networking applications. Sasha Wolloch, President of Raltron, says, "Network and data centre designers need timing products that balance performance, size, and cost. With the OX7000 Series, we're providing a compact, lower-cost OCXO that is especially well suited for NIC cards and other high-volume networking platforms." The OX7000 Series has also been qualified for environmental testing, including vibration, mechanical shock, and thermal cycling, which are common requirements for continuously operating infrastructure equipment.

ABB launches grid stability package for data centres

ABB, a multinational corporation specialising in industrial automation and electrification products, has introduced a pre-engineered synchronous condenser package designed to help data centre operators address grid stability challenges associated with growing AI workloads and increasing power demand. The company says the modular system is intended to support power network stability at grid connection points, helping operators connect new capacity while maintaining reliable power system performance. As AI adoption increases, data centres are placing greater demands on electricity networks. Large and rapidly changing power loads can affect voltage and frequency stability, creating challenges for both grid operators and data centre developers seeking new connections. ABB's synchronous condenser package is designed to provide instantaneous inertia and dynamic reactive power, helping to stabilise voltage and frequency during sudden changes in demand. According to ABB, the pre-engineered design is intended to simplify deployment by reducing engineering requirements, installation complexity, and project delivery times. The package combines a synchronous condenser, flywheel, starting system, lubrication system, cooling infrastructure, auxiliary equipment, e-house, and optional noise enclosure within a standardised design. The flywheel includes an integrated safety enclosure and is designed specifically to support electrical network stabilisation. Supporting AI-driven power demands ABB says the solution can help operators address grid stability requirements earlier in the development process, potentially simplifying approvals and supporting future capacity expansion without significant changes to core power infrastructure. The company also states that providing mechanical, electrical, and control systems through a single supplier can reduce on-site integration requirements and streamline project delivery. David Bjerharg, Business Line Manager, High Speed Synchronous at ABB, notes, "As data centres become increasingly widespread and AI-driven demand increases, grid stability is becoming a fundamental requirement for ongoing expansion. "This solution enables operators to connect faster, operate reliably from day one, and scale with confidence." The launch reflects growing industry focus on power infrastructure capable of supporting AI-driven facilities, where high-density computing workloads can create significant fluctuations in electricity demand. ABB says the synchronous condenser package is intended to support long-term infrastructure performance while helping operators deploy new data centre capacity more efficiently. For more from ABB, click here.

Siemens, Infineon partner on data centre circuit protection

German multinational technology company Siemens and German semiconductor manufacturing company Infineon Technologies have partnered to develop electrical protection technology for data centres, industrial facilities, and battery energy storage systems (BESS). Under the agreement, Infineon will supply silicon carbide (SiC) power modules for use in Siemens's SENTRON 3QD2 semiconductor circuit breakers, designed to improve efficiency, power density, and reliability in power distribution systems. According to the companies, growing electrification and the increasing complexity of AI data centres and industrial operations are driving demand for faster and more reliable electrical protection. A semiconductor circuit breaker, also known as a solid-state circuit breaker, is designed to protect electrical circuits from excessive current caused by faults such as short circuits and overloads. Unlike conventional electromechanical breakers, which use mechanical components to interrupt current flow, semiconductor-based devices use electronic components and control algorithms to react significantly faster. Siemens says the SENTRON 3QD2 can interrupt current in the microsecond range, making it suitable for direct current (DC) power systems where rapid fault isolation is required to minimise downtime and equipment damage. Andreas Weisl, Executive Vice President and Chief Sales Officer of Industrial and Infrastructure at Infineon, notes, "AI data centres and factories are becoming increasingly electrified and complex. "This increases vulnerability to electrical failures and drives the demand for more sustainable, efficient, and reliable power distribution systems. "By combining our advanced silicon carbide technology with Siemens's expertise in power distribution, we are addressing this demand to ensure fast, safe, and reliable operations in power-critical environments." Growing interest in DC power systems The collaboration centres on Infineon's CoolSiC MOSFET power module, which has been integrated into Siemens's semiconductor circuit breaker platform. The companies say the technology supports the wider adoption of DC power distribution systems, which are gaining attention in industrial environments and data centres because of their potential efficiency benefits and ability to integrate more effectively with battery storage systems. Markus Grabmeier, CEO Electrical Products at Siemens Smart Infrastructure, comments, "Our new direct current portfolio offers innovative solutions that not only improve energy efficiency but also enable the development of resilient, future-proof infrastructure. "Direct current applications can decrease energy consumption and substantially cut material usage. By integrating batteries, peak power can also be significantly reduced. "With this approach, we are making a decisive contribution to the decarbonisation of our industries, while reinforcing our commitment to developing technologies that deliver tangible value to our customers and society." The companies state that the partnership is intended to support the growing requirements of power-critical environments where electrical protection systems must operate quickly and reliably to maintain availability and reduce the risk of service disruption. A demonstration of the SENTRON 3QD2 semiconductor circuit breaker will be showcased at PCIM Europe 2026 in Nuremberg, Germany, from 9–11 June. For more from Siemens, click here.