News

NorthC completes acquisition of six Colt data centres

NorthC, a Dutch provider of sustainable data centre and colocation services, has finalised the acquisition of six data centres from multinational telecommunications company Colt Technology Services, taking over operations on 1 September 2025. The sites are located in Frankfurt, Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, and Düsseldorf in Germany, and in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The acquisition adds more than 25MW of capacity to NorthC’s platform and expands its presence in both the Benelux and DACH regions. In Germany, the deal increases the company’s footprint to seven data centres in total, while simultaneously boosting capacity in Amsterdam, a key connectivity hub. Expansion in Germany and the Netherlands NorthC says it plans to invest further in the newly acquired sites to expand capacity and improve efficiency and sustainability. The sites will be integrated into the company’s platform and aligned with its operational and service standards. Customers will also gain access to NorthC’s digital services, including the MyNorthC self-service portal. Alexandra Schless, CEO of NorthC Group, comments, “Today marks a major milestone in NorthC’s mission to build the premier regional data centre platform in Northwestern Europe. The integration of these six strategic sites accelerates our expansion, particularly in Germany, enabling us to support customers across all major metropolitan regions with scalable, secure, and sustainable digital infrastructure.” Customers and continuity Colt Technology Services will remain a long-term customer at the acquired facilities, which NorthC says will ensure continuity of service. The company adds that the new sites are in regions with strong connectivity and growing demand for digital infrastructure, allowing it to better serve enterprises, cloud and IT providers, and public sector organisations with cross-border operations. For more from NorthC, click here.

DE-CIX becomes first in India to integrate Starlink

Internet exchange (IX) operator DE-CIX India has announced that Starlink has joined its interconnection platform, making it the first IX in the country to provide interconnection for Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite services. The move follows Starlink’s approval of a commercial licence from India’s Department of Telecommunications, with final clearance expected by late 2025 or early 2026. The partnership is expected to play a role in supporting India’s digital infrastructure and extending broadband access to underserved areas. Expanding connectivity Starlink services are priced at around ₹33,000 ($376 / £276) for hardware, with monthly costs of ₹3,000–₹4,200 ($35–$50 / £25-£35). The service offers speeds of 25–220 Mbps, which can provide broadband-grade access in remote regions beyond the reach of fibre networks. DE-CIX says its infrastructure will provide the terrestrial backbone needed to support Starlink’s satellite connectivity, enabling reliable performance for applications such as streaming, video conferencing, and online gaming. Satellite and terrestrial integration Through its global Space-IX programme, DE-CIX provides interconnection for satellite operators by linking them with terrestrial networks and cloud services. The organisation says this integration is critical to maintaining low latency and high reliability. By joining DE-CIX India’s platform, Starlink is positioned to operate as an internet service provider in the country, complementing existing terrestrial and mobile networks. DE-CIX India operates across major metros including Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru, and offers multiple 100GE ports for high-capacity connections. For more from DE-CIX, click here.

Crusoe expands partnership with atNorth at Iceland DC

Crusoe, a developer of AI cloud infrastructure, and Nordic data centre operator atNorth have announced a 24MW expansion of Crusoe Cloud capacity at atNorth’s ICE02 facility in Iceland. The development builds on the two companies’ original agreement from December 2023, which included 33MW of capacity, and forms part of Crusoe’s wider European growth strategy. The ICE02 site, located near Reykjavík, benefits from low-latency connectivity supported by multiple undersea fibre-optic cables linking international markets. The latest phase of development includes the deployment of NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 infrastructure, as well as NVIDIA Blackwell and Hopper GPUs. Renewable-powered expansion The data centre is powered by geothermal and hydroelectric energy and has been fitted with Direct Liquid to Chip (DLC) cooling systems. Both companies say this reflects their commitment to supporting high-performance computing while limiting carbon impact. Chase Lochmiller, co-founder and CEO of Crusoe, says, “Our partnership with atNorth allows us to leverage the abundant geothermal and hydroelectric power in Iceland to build energy-first AI infrastructure so that our customers can run their most demanding AI workloads on Crusoe Cloud.” Eyjólfur Magnús Kristinsson, CEO of atNorth, adds, “The expansion of our ICE02 site features cutting-edge infrastructure and highly energy-efficient Direct Liquid to Chip cooling technology. This aligns with both companies’ commitment to sustainability, and we are proud to support Crusoe on their path to decarbonise workloads while delivering AI-ready solutions in an environmentally responsible way.” Growing AI data centre demand atNorth says demand for AI-ready infrastructure continues to increase, with its modular campus design enabling flexible scaling. Recent partnerships, including projects with Nokia and 6G AI Sweden AB, reflect the company’s focus on balancing advanced computing with environmental responsibility. For more from atNorth, click here.

Colocation's role in an AI world

In this article, Mark Pestridge, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Telehouse Europe, explores colocation’s dual role in supporting today’s transformation and tomorrow’s artificial intelligence (AI): Behind the curtain of AI The proliferation of AI solutions is a source of headlines which can easily obscure the critical role of data centres as ever more workloads run in the background. Recent research by S&P Global Market Intelligence, commissioned by Telehouse, shines a light on what is going on behind the scenes. It reveals that 76% of AI workloads are hosted in the cloud or in data centres, including colocation facilities. AI, however, is not the sole focus of every organisation. Many are undertaking technical transformations that data centres must be capable of supporting, while also providing infrastructure with the flexibility to scale for future AI integrations. This question of flexibility is becoming central to how colocation providers serve a growing market. The growth of AI and its processing needs The research shows between 16% and 20% of overall workloads are AI-related. While hyperscalers lead with 35% of these workloads, third-party colocation data centres hold a 10% share. Within this space, several factors are shaping buying decisions, including GPU-as-a-Service (18%), access to specialised cooling (15%), and GPU-based compute installation (13%). One key issue is becoming increasingly important as AI workloads grow: effective cooling. The GPUs used in AI processing are only as reliable as the cooling systems that support them, which demands a more advanced set of cooling technologies to cope with the heat generated by their higher power densities. This brings liquid technology into play, as it requires less power than traditional air cooling, making it a more efficient, reliable method. Liquid cooling may be essential for AI growth, but it also has more immediate gains for data centre operators. By enabling higher rack densities – some reaching up to 100KW – it can accommodate a wider range of power-hungry workloads within a smaller footprint. At the same time, its lower energy requirements help to reduce costs and improve PUE ratings. These efficiency gains contribute directly to the reduction of carbon footprints and boost attainment of environmental, social, and governmental (ESG) goals. Cloud on-ramps for AI lift-off As well as meeting present-day digital demands from customers, data centre operators must consider cloud on-ramps for AI workloads. More than 90% of companies view on-ramps as either critical or quite important to AI/ML architecture, with the potential for multiple AI-related functions. This includes moving data in and out of the cloud for training inferencing purposes, alongside the transportation of AI-related data for analysis. Cloud on-ramps are also important for digital transformation strategies. As a direct, secure connection, they enable faster, more reliable access to cloud services from a data centre. Low-latency connectivity between business networks and other cloud services via a private connection is enabled by cloud exchanges with links to the leading cloud providers, such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. If they provide access to cloud on-ramps and cloud exchanges, colocation services should be at the centre of distributed AI workloads that make use of public cloud services. The value of consultancy and expertise The research is also clear about the role of expertise in guiding the data centre choices for both transformation strategies and longer-term AI plans. A fifth of respondents (20%) cite AI/ML consulting services as the main differentiator when considering a colocation provider. This is especially true for healthcare and life sciences companies which value the availability of IT skills and expertise. Remote and smart-hands services offered by leading data centre operators clearly have an important role in offering guidance on how organisations meet their goals. In colocation centres, smart-hands services make it easier to configure changes to equipment and to install new equipment. Colocation has a central role As AI workloads grow to power dramatic new use cases, colocation is expanding its critical support. It offers the infrastructure, connectivity, and expertise that organisations require to achieve their current targets and the requirements of the AI-shaped future. The combination of advanced cooling systems, direct cloud connectivity, and value-added services makes colocation fundamental to evolving workloads, whether focused on digital transformation or AI. For more from Telehouse, click here.

Planning approved for new DC in Hertfordshire, UK

Outline planning has been approved for a new 5,000 m² data centre at 45 Maylands Avenue in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, UK. Designed by architecture firm Scott Brownrigg for Northtree Investment Management, the new project is intended to provide much-needed digital infrastructure while creating a new, high-quality workplace and public realm. Proposals seek to maximise space on the industrial site by replacing an existing two-storey warehouse and office building with a new three-storey facility, adorned with office accommodation, a substation, car parking, and servicing areas. The architectural company says designs echo the scale of neighbouring logistics and light industrial buildings, using a contemporary architectural language and high-quality materials to "enhance the frontage to Maylands Avenue." Existing levels on the site will be utilised to maximise available space while reducing the height of the building facing the street. The current access from Maylands Avenue will be enhanced to provide accessible parking and a point of arrival for guests, pedestrians, and those arriving by bicycle, while access from Cleaveland Way will be gated and dedicated to HGV and staff vehicles. A setback from the roadside creates an opportunity to reinforce the boulevard and improve the quality of the public realm along Maylands Avenue. New landscaping with seating areas hopes to encourage pedestrian and cycle movement and contribute to the visual amenity on the estate. The sustainability strategy includes measures such as a fabric-first approach for the design, as well as a layout that allows for naturally ventilated offices via openable windows, while maintaining the security of restricted spaces. A mixture of locally native trees and shrub species will be planted along the boundaries to the south and west of the site to create a vegetative buffer for the development and habitat for local wildlife. Scott Brownrigg claims its proposal for 45 Maylands Avenue is set to make the most of the site available, densifying industrial land use, whilst carefully considering how the occupied spaces can positively contribute to and improve upon the existing street scene.

Techno Digital unveils hyperscale data centre in Chennai

Techno Digital, the digital infrastructure arm of Techno Electric & Engineering Company Limited (TEECL), today announced the inauguration of its 36MW data centre at SIPCOT IT Park, Siruseri, Chennai. This next-gen facility is part of Techno Digital’s $1 billion investment commitment towards building future-ready, sustainable digital infrastructure across the country. Spanning over 200,000 square foot, the state-of-the-art 36MW data centre delivers a hosting capacity of about 2,400 high-density racks and is designed to support flexible power densities from 10 kW to 50 kW per rack and beyond, making it one of India’s most advanced AI-ready infrastructures. Strategically located in the heart of Chennai’s IT corridor, the facility is designed to provide resilience against climate risks and offers seamless connectivity to multiple cable landing stations and domestic networks that anchor India’s internet backbone. The facility’s design integrates: On-site 110 kV GIS Substation with dual power feeds from independent substations, connected via underground cable paths for reliability and weatherproof operation. Powering customers’ critical IT load within server hall via state-of-the-art UPS systems, tested and certified with NVIDIA’s latest GB200 series. Efficient Cooling Architecture featuring centrifugal water-cooled chillers and adiabatic cooling towers, thus enabling best-in-class operational PUE and helping reduce water consumption by 75%. Ankit Saraiya, Director & CEO, Techno Digital, says, “Our Chennai AI-ready hyperscale data centre is a significant milestone in our commitment to accelerating the Digital India vision and advancing India’s self-reliance initiative. This launch goes beyond infrastructure; it represents a strategic investment in building a future-ready digital ecosystem. “Chennai stands out as a top destination for hyperscale data centres, due to its robust infrastructure, progressive business policies, and vibrant talent pool. This, coupled with our strong credentials in power infrastructure, strategically positions us as a partner of choice for enterprises looking to modernise, scale, embrace sustainability and future-proof their digital operations.” India’s burgeoning digital economy demands a comprehensive focus on building a robust digital infrastructure. With the rise in data consumption, rapid cloud adoption, and advancements in AI and 5G rollout, data centres are the strategic pillars that deliver scalable, secure, and efficient solutions to meet this demand. Additionally, as sustainability is becoming a key factor in India’s growth trajectory, optimising energy-efficient resources for modern hyperscale and edge data centres is of utmost importance. “We are thrilled to announce the launch of our AI-ready hyperscale data centre in Chennai, a facility that exemplifies progressive technology, precision engineering, and purposeful innovation, built at the intersection of tradition and technology,” comments Amit Agrawal, President, Techno Digital. “Today’s digital-native enterprises demand hyper-availability, seamless scalability, robust security, and operational resilience, all while advancing their sustainability goals. We are confident that the strategically located facility on India’s southern coast in Chennai, further augmented by our network of interconnected Edge data centres, is well poised to shape the country’s digital infrastructure with sustainable, AI-driven, and cloud-optimised offerings.” Padam Prakash Gupta, Managing Director, TEECL, adds, “With this strategic expansion, Techno Electric reaffirms its commitment to building a high-quality, benchmark digital infrastructure platform. The Chennai Data Centre facility is a testament to the group’s EPC leadership and financial discipline, ensuring superior returns and long-term value creation for all stakeholders.” The facility sets a new benchmark for sustainable digital infrastructure by deliberately allocating 25% of the total site area to green spaces - a first in the region. It incorporates adiabatic cooling towers and an energy-efficient exterior that reduce water consumption and minimise heat gain. Additionally, facility is equipped with advanced water treatment, recycling, and storage systems to ensure responsible usage and reuse of water. The design aligns with a Rated 3+ reliability standard and is confirmed for USGBC Gold certification for its environmental performance. For more from Techno Digital, click here.

Data centre boom demands predictive maintenance shift

As the data centre sector undergoes rapid expansion, operators are being urged to adopt condition-based monitoring and predictive maintenance strategies in facilities. The callout comes from Arfon Engineering, after a BBC report suggested that the number of data centres in the UK is set to increase by almost 20%. With the majority due to be built in the next five years, 66% of operators are also planning to retrofit at least a quarter of their existing estate within the same timeframe. Designated as critical national infrastructure, data centres are central to the UK’s economic future. To ensure 99.999% uptime and optimal energy efficiency, Arfon has encouraged the shift from reactive to predictive maintenance by adopting condition-based monitoring (CBM). Using real-time data from sensors and monitoring systems to assess equipment health, CBM forecasts potential failures well in advance. This enables informed and proactive maintenance decisions before the point of costly downtime, eliminating unnecessary interventions and extending asset life in the process. Alice Oakes, Service and Support Manager at Arfon, says, “As data centres become more complex and energy-intensive, the transition to predictive maintenance has never been more important. Outages can cost thousands per minute, and the consequences often stretch from financial to reputational damage. “Predictive maintenance is more cost-effective and environmentally responsible than traditional reactive or preventative approaches. This presents decision-makers with the chance to produce less waste from prematurely replaced components, benefit from greater energy efficiency of assets, and significantly extend the lifespan of mission-critical assets, such as cooling systems and power supplies.” Reducing the frequency of unnecessary part replacements contributes to lower carbon emissions and reduced energy consumption, both of which are key goals for a sector under scrutiny for its environmental impact. With tens of billions set to be invested in UK data centres over the coming years, CBM also plays an important role in preventing significant financial losses caused by unplanned outages. Earlier this year, more than half (54%) of respondents to Uptime Intelligence’s annual survey reported their most recent significant outage to have cost more than $100,000. Alice continues, “By integrating predictive maintenance strategies into both new build and retrofit facilities, operators can create smarter data centres that adapt to real-time conditions. We encourage businesses to view it as a strategic investment from the outset in maintaining uptime and resilience.”

Community IX launches new internet exchange in Virginia

Community IX, the operator of the FL-IX (South Florida) and CIX-ATL (Atlanta) internet exchanges (IXs), has launched a new exchange in Northern Virginia called CIX-NoVA. The service is initially available through data centres in Ashburn and Reston, with additional sites under review. According to the organisation, the launch responds to customer demand for greater interconnection capacity in Northern Virginia, which is it regards as the world’s largest data centre and connectivity hub. Community IX says it has already secured participants to anchor the new platform and, across its existing exchanges, the organisation already operates more than 30Tbps of installed port capacity. Expanding interconnection services Randy Epstein, co-founder and Executive Director of Community IX, says, “Since beginning operations in 2015, we’ve focused on providing a cost-effective, community-driven service to our membership and have experienced tremendous growth in Florida and later in the Atlanta Metro market. "Over the years, we’ve been asked what other markets we can offer our service [to] and Northern Virginia has consistently come up in conversation.” CIX-NoVA allows ISPs, content providers, and enterprises to exchange IP traffic across multiple sites in the region. The exchange is open to networks operating in Ashburn and Reston. Community IX is offering new 10G and 100G port connections free for the first year (with a two-year agreement). 400G ports are also available, but the company says they are not included in this promotion.

Digital Realty breaks ground in Rome

Digital Realty, a provider of carrier-neutral data centre, colocation, and interconnection systems, today announced it has broken ground on its first data centre in Rome, aiming to strengthen its position in delivering PlatformDIGITAL, a connected data centre platform, across the Mediterranean region. The new facility, ROM1, is intended to be a highly connected, carrier-neutral data centre, designed to support the latest AI technologies and provide access to a broad ecosystem of global and regional connectivity providers. ROM1 will also be equipped with the capacity to support and interconnect with multiple subsea cable systems, promising to position the site as a strategic hub and gateway linking Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Strategically located within 15 kilometres of the coast, ROM1 will offer over 3MW of installed IT capacity upon completion, with future expansion under consideration across the 22-hectare site – equivalent to approximately 2.3 million ft² or around 213,677 m² – making it one of the largest data centre campuses in the country when fully built out. "Rome is not only a key economic hub in Southern Europe, but also a critical entry point to the broader Mediterranean – a region that is fast emerging as a vital gateway for global connectivity," sats Alessandro Talotta, Managing Director, Digital Realty in Italy. "ROM1 represents a major milestone in our strategy to build out a dense network of highly connected, sustainable data centre hubs across key growth markets, enabling our customers to scale their digital infrastructure and reach across Europe, the Middle East, and beyond.” ROM1 will complement Digital Realty’s existing presence in other Mediterranean locations including Athens, Marseille, Zagreb, and the recently launched HER1 facility in Crete. It also precedes the forthcoming planned development of a new interconnection hub in Barcelona as part of the company’s expansion across Europe’s southern edge. According to Digital Realty, ROM1 is expected to contribute to faster, more resilient connectivity across Southern Europe and could significantly reduce latency between northern and southern Italy, bolstering the country’s competitiveness on the global stage. In line with the company's global sustainability strategy, ROM1 will be matched with 100% renewable energy, supporting the data centre provider's goal to minimise environmental impact while meeting growing demand for digital infrastructure. The ROM1 data centre is currently on schedule to be completed in 2027 and marks the first phase of a larger campus. For more from Digital Realty, click here.

AirTrunk secures A$16bn sustainability-linked financing

Hyperscale data centre operator AirTrunk has completed a A$16 billion (£7.6 billion) refinancing package (excluding Japan), which it says is the largest sustainability-linked financing in the Asia-Pacific and Japan region to date. The multi-transaction deal covers both new and operational assets in Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore. AirTrunk first introduced a sustainability-linked loan (SLL) in 2021 worth A$2.1 billion (£1 billion), which increased to A$4.6 billion (£2.2 billion) in 2023. The new refinancing brings the company’s total debt financing platform to more than A$18 billion (£8.6 billion), including its facilities in Japan. Over 60 banks and financiers participated in the latest package. Structure and sustainability targets The refinancing comprises four separate sustainability-linked transactions structured as either green loans or SLLs. AirTrunk has set targets across energy and water efficiency, renewable energy uptake, and gender pay equity. The company has stated its goal is to reach net-zero emissions by 2030. All margin incentives from the financing will be directed into AirTrunk’s social impact fund, which will grow over the course of the loans. The fund supports initiatives including disaster relief, STEM education, equal digital access, biodiversity projects, and sustainable innovation. AirTrunk says it is the first known corporate to embed disaster relief into its financing structure. In Singapore, a S$2.25 billion (£1.29 billion) green loan will fund the development of AirTrunk SGP2 in Loyang and is described as Singapore’s largest green loan for a data centre. In Melbourne, the company has arranged what it calls the largest green loan in the region and the first globally to include margin adjustments linked to a social impact programme. Robin Khuda, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of AirTrunk, comments, “Following AirTrunk’s A$24 billion-plus (£11.5 billion) acquisition by Blackstone and CPPIB in 2024, we have expanded our debt financing platform to enable rapid growth across the region. "By linking all A$18 billion (£8.6 billion) of our financing to sustainability, we demonstrate our long-term commitment to scale responsibly, building essential digital infrastructure to power the digital economy, while delivering lasting positive environmental and social impact.” Luke Stephens, Vice President and Treasurer at AirTrunk, adds, “This A$16 billion-plus (£7.6 billion) refinancing is a major milestone in AirTrunk’s sustainable finance journey, driving both innovation and transparency. "From leading the industry with the first SLL in 2021 to today’s multi-transaction structure, we’ve consistently pushed boundaries to drive responsible growth and create meaningful social value.” For more from AirTrunk, click here.