Data Centre Operations: Optimising Infrastructure for Performance and Reliability

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 nine-month 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.”

Duos Edge AI expands Amarillo data centre footprint

Duos Technologies Group, through its subsidiary, Duos Edge AI, a provider of edge data centre (EDC) systems, has deployed a second EDC in the Amarillo, Texas market. The carrier-neutral facility is located on land in Potter County, adjacent to a major colocation site in the Texas Panhandle. It is designed to support regional demand for low-latency computing, including AI applications, enterprise workloads, and public sector services. The deployment builds on the company’s initial Amarillo site and forms part of a wider expansion across Texas, with additional locations in Lubbock, Waco, Victoria, Abilene, and Corpus Christi. The facility is designed to provide local processing capacity, reducing reliance on data centres in larger metropolitan areas and supporting improved network performance. Regional expansion and edge infrastructure strategy Duos Edge AI says the site will deliver high-density computing, increased bandwidth availability, and secure data processing capabilities for organisations operating in the region. The expansion reflects a broader strategy to develop edge infrastructure in underserved and high-growth markets. Dave Irek, Chief Operations Officer at Duos Edge AI, says, “This expansion enhances capacity and capability in the region. We are creating a robust, carrier-neutral ecosystem designed to support innovation, attract investment, and drive long-term economic growth.” Potter County Judge Nancy Tanner adds, “This collaboration with Duos Edge AI represents a significant investment in our community's future. [It] will attract new businesses, improve connectivity for our residents and schools, and position Potter County as a leader in digital infrastructure.” The new facility is expected to become operational in the coming months. For more from Duos Edge AI, click here.

Schneider, NVIDIA to advance AI data centre design

Global energy technology company Schneider Electric has expanded its collaboration with NVIDIA to develop validated designs and digital tools for large-scale AI data centres. Working alongside AVEVA, the companies outlined new developments in designing, simulating, building, and operating AI infrastructure during NVIDIA GTC in San Jose, USA. These include a reference design for NVIDIA’s latest rack-scale systems, integration of digital twin capabilities, and testing of AI-driven tools for managing data centre alarms. The announcements focus on supporting large-scale AI deployments, sometimes referred to as “AI factories”, with an emphasis on power, cooling, and operational efficiency. Reference design and digital twin integration A new reference design has been developed for NVIDIA’s Vera Rubin NVL72 rack architecture, covering power distribution and cooling requirements. The design supports higher supply voltage, improved thermal efficiency, and clustered rack configurations for AI workloads. It has been validated using electrical system and airflow modelling tools to assess performance before deployment. In parallel, AVEVA has introduced a lifecycle digital twin architecture integrated within the NVIDIA Omniverse environment. This enables simulation of power, cooling, and operational conditions, allowing operators to test and refine designs prior to construction. According to the companies, this approach is intended to reduce design cycles, improve accuracy, and support more efficient deployment of AI infrastructure. Manish Kumar, Executive Vice President, Secure Power & Data Centers at Schneider Electric, comments, “As AI workloads scale in both size and complexity, the margin for error in data centre design becomes incredibly small. “Delivering AI at scale requires tightly integrated electrical, cooling, and digital architectures that can support both unprecedented performance demands while maintaining peak energy efficiency. "By combining advanced software, digital twins, and validated reference designs, operators can simulate and optimise infrastructure before a single rack is deployed. This approach reduces risk, accelerates deployment, and ensures the efficiency and resilience needed to power the next generation of AI factories.” Vladimir Troy, Vice President of AI Infrastructure at NVIDIA, adds, “Gigawatt-scale AI factories demand a fundamentally new class of energy-efficient and highly predictable infrastructure. “Together, NVIDIA and Schneider Electric are providing the power, cooling, and digital twin architectures needed to accelerate time-to-token for our customers worldwide.” AI-based alarm management testing Schneider Electric also confirmed testing of an AI-based alarm management capability using NVIDIA Nemotron models. The system analyses real-time data from multiple sources to identify root causes of issues and recommend corrective actions. The aim is to support data centre operators in resolving incidents more quickly and consistently, while reducing unnecessary maintenance activity. The latest developments build on ongoing collaboration between the companies, including work on digital twin environments, power system modelling, and support for higher-voltage data centre architectures. For more from Schneider Electric, click here.

Siemens expands data centre ecosystem for AI infrastructure

German multinational technology company Siemens has expanded its data centre partner ecosystem to support the growth of next-generation artificial intelligence infrastructure, focusing on the integration of compute, power, and operational systems. The expansion includes a strategic investment in Emerald AI, a collaboration with PhysicsX, and the integration of energy storage technologies from Fluence. As AI adoption accelerates, data centre operators are facing increasing constraints around power availability and grid connection timelines. Siemens says the expanded ecosystem is intended to improve flexibility across infrastructure, helping operators scale capacity while maintaining reliability in power-constrained environments. Coordinating compute and energy systems Emerald AI’s technology enables AI workloads to shift in time and location to align with grid conditions, allowing data centre demand to respond dynamically to available power. This approach is designed to reduce peak demand pressures and support faster grid connections. Fluence’s battery energy storage systems (BESS) are intended to help operators manage large-scale AI workloads by shaping energy demand and supporting more predictable load profiles. The systems can also provide on-site power during grid constraints or outages, supporting operational continuity. In addition, Siemens is working with PhysicsX to apply physics-based AI modelling to data centre power distribution systems. Using simulation data, the approach enables engineers to model thermal behaviour in real time, reducing design times and supporting optimisation for dynamic AI workloads. Siemens said the combined ecosystem brings together workload orchestration, energy infrastructure, and AI-driven modelling to address the growing complexity of data centre design and operation as AI demand increases. For more from Siemens, click here.

Barriers to colocation could hold back DC market

Speaking from the Space Comm Expo Europe event in London, Strategies in Satellite Ground Segment (SSGS), the organiser of the world’s only conference dedicated exclusively to the satellite ground segment, has warned that the global success of data centres is at risk if barriers to their colocation with satellite ground stations are not removed. SSGS argues that the advantages to placing a satellite ground station next to a data centre are already clear. It suggests that, for example, keeping the antenna systems physically close to compute and storage functions eliminates long terrestrial backhaul links and helps to reduce latency. Both the data centre and ground station can benefit from cost-savings and can become scalable digital hubs as capacity can be quickly added to meet increased demand. However, securing the necessary planning permissions, obtaining sufficient levels of funding, obtaining the necessary spectrum licenses in already crowded frequency bands, and event issues relating to data sovereignty can all hold up the process of colocation. Colocating data centres with satellite ground systems Kevin French, Director of the SSGS conference and exhibition, says, “Satellite ground systems are increasingly being colocated with data centres, and it’s not a coincidence; it’s a structural shift. "As demand for high-capacity, low-latency services accelerate, bringing ground infrastructure closer to compute isn’t just efficient; it’s transformative. “Colocation enables virtualised architectures, cloud native workflows, and far more resilient end-to-end operations. It ensures that satellite data isn’t just collected, but processed, stored, and delivered with the speed and reliability that modern networks now require.” While there are successful colocation projects in operation - such as the recent approval given to Amazon's Project Kuiper to operate a satellite earth station gateway at the National Space Centre (NSC) in Cork, Ireland - there are fears that the speed of approvals in some jurisdictions could lag behind demand and create a two-tier system. The issue of colocation, data centres, cloud, and edge computing is set to be a major topic of discussion at the SSGS conference being held at the Park Plaza Hotel in London on 30 September 2026. Registration is now open. Find out more by clicking here.

'Agentic core networks shape 6G, unlocking new business'

At MWC Barcelona 26, Dr Wen Tong, Huawei Wireless CTO, delivered a keynote speech on 6G core network. He introduced Agentic Core Networks as the revolutionary 6G-orientated AI core network driven by agentic AI and explained that the architecture seamlessly integrates application creation with network customisation to deliver intent-as-a-service, empowering operators to explore new business models and drive growth in the 6G era. The agentic AI technology is rapidly redefining applications and services from human-centric to agent-centric. This transition is already fuelling an explosion in data traffic, with global token consumption surging by over 100 times in the past year and traffic from AI-training web crawlers increasing 21-fold. At the same time, AI agents have seen rapid adoption in enterprise scenarios, with 80% of Fortune 500 companies now integrating them into their operations. AI will be a pivotal enabler of 6G. From AI-enabled terminals to AI-powered wireless networks and AI core networks, the industry is exploring ways to integrate AI into end-to-end 6G systems to improve spectral and energy efficiency, as well as to establish a robust foundation for the rapid growth of AI applications. In this transformation, the role of the AI core network is particularly critical. It will align with the advancing trends in AI technologies, reshaping the 6G core network by incorporating agentic AI. This transformation will unlock new service models and monetisation avenues, as well as expanding business opportunities for operators. The introduction of Agentic Core Networks Agentic Core Networks architecture brings a fundamental shift to service processes. Traditionally, all operations were carried out based on predefined procedures. However, the AI core network utilises Agentic NAS to proactively detect user needs, predict user intent ahead of OTT applications, and autonomously generate, execute, and continuously optimise personalised services through multi-agent collaboration. This transition enables fully automated operations, reduces TCO, ensures a superior user experience, shifting from fixed connections to intent-driven services. Agentic Core Networks will become integrated platforms of network functions, operator services, and third-party tools. This architecture enables service applications to be dynamically onboarded and iterated like plug-ins, cutting service rollout time from weeks down to minutes. More than a technological advancement, this marks a strategic shift in operators' business models: from providing connectivity to delivering intelligent services, from passively meeting user needs to proactively enabling service scenarios, and from relatively closed network systems to open ecosystems. Closed-loop capabilities spanning intent recognition, AI-driven generation, and ecosystem monetisation will be essential for operators seeking to capture value in the 6G era. Agentic Core Networks capabilities will allow 6G to deliver precise services in high-value scenarios. For example, in dynamic hotspots such as stadiums or disaster recovery sites, 6G can be deployed on demand and reclaimed once the need subsides. In the short term, high-value applications - like autonomous taxi dispatch or remote assistance by humanoid robots and AI-driven orchestration - will unlock new business opportunities. Ultimately, it will help 6G strike the optimal balance between deployment costs and business value. In his address, Wen concluded that the strategic priorities of Agentic Core Networks are becoming increasingly clear. He called for accelerating exploration in the 5G-A era to build a solid connectivity foundation for AI terminals and applications, powered by multi-dimensional network capabilities. This, he noted, represents the first step for the evolution of the entire industry ecosystem. Looking ahead, Wen emphasised that with the advancement of 6G standards and technologies, Agentic Core Networks will enable collaboration between terminals and networks, foster scenario-specific applications, and cultivate a robust industry chain ecosystem. These efforts, he added, will infuse the entire mobile industry with new vitality and unlock new growth opportunities. MWC Barcelona 2026 was held between 2–5 March in Barcelona, Spain. During the event, Huawei showcased its latest products and solutions at Stand 1H50 in Fira Gran Via Hall 1. The era of agentic networks is now approaching fast, and the commercial adoption of 5G-A at scale is gaining speed. Huawei says it is actively working with carriers and partners around the world to unleash the full potential of 5G-A and pave the way for the evolution to 6G. It adds that it is also creating AI-Centric Network solutions to enable intelligent services, networks, and network elements (NEs), speeding up the large-scale deployment of level-4 autonomous networks (AN L4), and using AI to upgrade its core business. Together with other industry players, it says it will create leading value-driven networks and AI computing backbones for a fully intelligent future. For more information, you can visit Huawei’s website by clicking here. For more from Huawei, click here.

Huawei: Accelerating towards the agentic internet era

At MWC Barcelona 2026, Li Peng, Huawei's Senior Vice President and President of ICT Sales & Service, delivered a keynote on how carriers can maximise the value of 5G-A and AI to accelerate towards the agentic internet era. Li proposed that, as networks converge with AI, carriers have the opportunity to redefine the value of connectivity by upgrading to "5G-A x AI". He says this will allow them to not only monetise traffic and experience, but also AI services. Leap in industry value: Entering a 10-trillion-dollar agentic internet era Over the past few years, the mobile industry has steadily evolved from 4G to 5G, and some carriers have begun deploying 5G-A. As networks are stronger than ever, they are bringing intelligent applications to all kinds of devices. Li said, "This year, we're entering the agentic internet era. Networks will not only connect people; they will also connect hundreds of billions of agents." The rise of agent applications over the next decade, however, will increase connectivity demands, as networks will not simply facilitate human communication but also communication between agents. This will drive carriers to shift from offering traffic to offering high-value services and open up a new market worth $10 trillion (£7.4 trillion). Business model upgrade: Elevating brands and offerings to unlock new revenue streams The evolution of network capabilities will also result in changes to carrier business models. In the seven years since the commercialisation of 5G, more than 300 carriers around the world have launched new packages to monetise traffic, and this has helped them grow both their revenue and user-base. As 5G networks continue to mature, experience monetisation will be more essential to carriers' success. 5G SA and 5G-A provide more diverse network resources that more than 30 leading carriers have used to launch experience-based packages to monetise speeds, latency, and more. By dynamically scheduling resources, carriers can go beyond "best-effort" service to deterministic experience. This helps them strengthen brand reputation and users' willingness to spend on premium services. By offering services like custom logo displays and multi-level speed boosts, carriers are able to guarantee network performance at critical moments and enhance users' perception of network quality. Connectivity and AI service convergence: Unleashing new growth potential with AI-powered consumer, home, and enterprise services Li also explained how carriers will be able to transform their main services and improve consumer satisfaction by applying AI models: ● AI for consumers: First, AI can be integrated into traditional calling services. There are currently 5.4 billion calling service users around the world, and AI can be used to unlock features like transcription, translation, and AI assistants. Many of these features have already entered large-scale commercial use in China and South Korea. In addition, more and more carriers are launching AI phones to act as portals for the agentic era. They are using these phones to upgrade their B2C services - the largest source of revenue for most carriers. ● AI for homes: In addition to the recent initiatives by carriers to upgrade home broadband towards ultra-gigabit, AI is also being implemented to enable smart home services. For example, acceleration assistants can guarantee deterministic speeds for key services like gaming and livestreaming. Network assistants can help people optimise their Wi-Fi and resolve network faults via voice commands. AI lifestyle assistants are also a promising avenue for carriers looking to unlock new value from traditional services. By integrating AI with video and storage services, they do things like automatically generating cloud-based family albums that can be shared between devices. ● AI for business: In industrial scenarios, the convergence of 5G-A and AI can be used to transform core workflows and significantly improve production efficiency. For example, in flexible manufacturing, AI-enabled factories will be able to respond to demand in seconds, schedule new production runs in minutes, and deliver new products in hours. New vision: Helping carriers upgrade their portfolio with AI services "Looking ahead, there are still many opportunities just waiting to be unlocked with 5G-A and AI, and carriers are in the best position to explore future applications like massive IoT and embodied AI," said Li at the event. He also recommended three courses of action for carriers to seize these opportunities: First, carriers should evolve all services, devices, and frequency bands to 5G-A to create a thriving network ecosystem. Second, carriers should introduce AI into B.O.M. (business, operations, management) domains; this will provide a foundation for diversified O&M services. Third, carriers should bring intelligence to infrastructure to support the evolution of future network architecture. "Huawei is ready to work closely with carriers to make the most of 5G-A and AI and help them evolve into AI service providers," concluded Li. "We can work with carriers to upgrade their main services through the multi-agent collaboration platform. We can also help them build AI-centric networks for more efficient operations. Together, we can unlock a world of new opportunities and lay a strong foundation for future networks." MWC Barcelona 2026 was held between 2–5 March in Barcelona, Spain. During the event, Huawei showcased its latest products and solutions at Stand 1H50 in Fira Gran Via Hall 1. The era of agentic networks is now approaching fast, and the commercial adoption of 5G-A at scale is gaining speed. Huawei says it is actively working with carriers and partners around the world to unleash the full potential of 5G-A and pave the way for the evolution to 6G. It adds that it is also creating AI-Centric Network solutions to enable intelligent services, networks, and network elements (NEs), speeding up the large-scale deployment of level-4 autonomous networks (AN L4), and using AI to upgrade its core business. Together with other industry players, it says it will create leading value-driven networks and AI computing backbones for a fully intelligent future. For more information, you can visit Huawei's website by clicking here. For more from Huawei, click here.

AirTrunk secures $1.2bn Tokyo data centre loan

Australian data centre operator AirTrunk has secured a ¥191.6 billion ($1.24 billion; £903 million) green loan to refinance and expand its TOK1 hyperscale data centre campus in East Tokyo, Japan. The financing is reportedly the largest data centre loan completed in Japan to date and will support further development of the campus as demand for cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure grows. The loan, structured under AirTrunk’s Green Financing Framework, will refinance existing facilities and fund new development phases at the TOK1 site. The campus is designed to scale to more than 300MW of capacity. The company also says it has recently started construction to add more than 100MW of IT load to meet near-term customer demand. The financing was led by SMBC, MUFG, Crédit Agricole CIB, and Société Générale as global coordinators. A total of 12 banks participated as mandated lead arrangers and bookrunners. Expansion of hyperscale infrastructure in Japan AirTrunk says the financing forms part of its wider investment in Japan’s digital infrastructure. Most notably, the operator recently announced OSK2, its second hyperscale data centre in Osaka, alongside the establishment of a new headquarters in Japan. At full build-out, AirTrunk’s four campuses in Japan - TOK1, TOK2, OSK1, and OSK2 - are expected to deliver around 530MW of capacity to support cloud and AI workloads. Robin Khuda, founder and CEO of AirTrunk, comments, “Japan is one of the world’s most important cloud and AI markets, and we’re committed to building the digital infrastructure that enables its long-term growth. "AirTrunk has been investing deeply in Japan for this reason: to build the hyperscale platform that will underpin the country’s digital future and connect it to the broader region. "This landmark financing enables us to accelerate the expansion of TOK1 and continue delivering the capacity our customers need today, while preparing Japan for the extraordinary compute demands ahead.” Masato Hori, Associate Vice President Treasury Japan at AirTrunk, adds, “This is the largest data centre financing ever completed in Japan and a testament to the deep collaboration between AirTrunk and our banking partners. We’re especially grateful for the strong support from Japan’s leading financial institutions including SMBC, MUFG, Chiba Bank and Mizuho Bank. "The structure of the facility reflects our commitment to transparency, sustainability, and innovation in capital markets, and further strengthens AirTrunk’s financing platform across the region.” The financing also includes margin incentives that will be directed to the AirTrunk Social Impact Fund, supporting community initiatives in Japan including STEM education, digital inclusion, biodiversity, and disaster relief. For more from AirTrunk, click here.

Huawei showcases industrial intelligence at MWC 2026

During MWC Barcelona 2026, Chinese multinational technology company Huawei released 115 industrial intelligence showcases, together with its customers, during Industrial Digital and Intelligent Transformation Summit 2026. The summit, titled 'Advancing Industrial All Intelligence', was held by Huawei to explore new practices in industrial intelligence with its customers, partners, and peers. The company also announced the launch of upgrades to its SHAPE 2.0 partner framework. In addition, Huawei showcased 22 new industrial intelligence solutions with partners for the electric power, manufacturing and retail, finance, transportation, oil and gas, ISP, media, public service, and smart city sectors. Huawei proposed the ACT Pathway: A replicable intelligence framework AI technologies have advanced rapidly over the last year, with reasoning models and agentic workflows both maturing and physical AI beginning to truly take off. This has allowed AI tools to begin entering core production scenarios and helped applications move from pilots to large-scale use. AI agents can now better understand and interact with the physical world, being capable of making decisions independently. With this in mind, Huawei has introduced the ACT Pathway, which has been developed during its collaboration with global customers over the past few years. Three key steps specified in the ACT framework were mandatory for achieving comprehensive industrial intelligence: The first step is “assessing high-value scenarios”. So far, Huawei has helped customers identify over 1,000 core production scenarios where AI can play a big role. The second step is “calibrating AI models with high-quality vertical data”. Huawei has built a six-layer AI security framework to ensure every stage of the AI lifecycle is secure and trustworthy. The third step is “transforming business operations with AI talent”. Talent that understands both industry and AI are needed. Huawei does this by focusing on four areas, including hands-on practice programs, CANN open-source communities, vertical industry communities on Huawei Cloud, and ICT Academies. Huawei worked with customers to release global industrial intelligence showcases During the summit, a number of Huawei’s customers joined on stage to help launch 115 global showcases for industrial intelligence, including executives from Eskom, Shandong Port Group, Converge ICT, HM Hospitales, and PetroChina (Beijing)’s Digital Intelligent Research Institute, CNPC, providing reference for organisations of various sectors to embark on their journey towards intelligence. MWC Barcelona 2026 is being held from 2 March to 5 March in Barcelona, Spain. During the event, Huawei is showcasing its latest products and solutions at Stand 1H50 in Fira Gran Via Hall 1. For more information, click here to visit Huawei’s website. For more from Huawei, click here.

Nokia, Telefónica to expand edge networking in Spain

Finnish telecommunications company Nokia has been selected by Telefónica, a Spanish multinational telecommunications company, to deploy networking technology across 17 new edge data centre nodes in Spain. The rollout forms part of Telefónica’s expansion of distributed edge infrastructure, supporting AI, B2B, and telco cloud services for residential, enterprise, and public sector users. Nokia will provide connectivity for compute and storage within each edge facility, as well as links between the sites and external networks. The infrastructure is designed to support AI training and inferencing closer to end users, alongside digital services in healthcare, education, industry, and government. Under the multi-year agreement, Nokia has exclusive responsibility for networking across the 17 nodes. 12 have already been deployed, including at Telefónica’s Tecno-Alcalá site. Multi-year agreement covers 17 edge nodes The latest phase follows a pilot deployment of three edge data centres in 2024. Nokia now acts as sole networking technology partner for the programme, with the companies stating that a single-vendor approach is intended to simplify operations and standardise architecture. Sergio Sánchez, CTIO at Telefónica España, comments, “This initiative fully aligns with our strategy to make edge cloud and artificial intelligence main cornerstones of Telefónica’s growth. "Nokia has proven to be a trusted connectivity partner in this mission, and they are playing a critical role in building secure, reliable data centre networks for our ambitious edge node project. "Through this effort, we are not only enhancing our digital infrastructure but also reinforcing Spain’s technological sovereignty and enabling a more dynamic, user-centric digital ecosystem.” David Heard, President, Network Infrastructure at Nokia, adds, “We are proud to collaborate with Telefónica for this landmark project that supports our customer’s shift to a nationwide distributed edge architecture. "This win underscores our long-term strategic relationship and Nokia’s leadership in building AI-ready, high-performance data centre networking solutions. Together, we’re creating the foundation for Spain’s digital future, bringing intelligence and services closer to where people and businesses need them most.” For more from Nokia, click here.