DCD Zero Downtime: The Bi-Weekly Data Center Show

The UK is calling time on its copper networks, and thousands of telephone exchanges across the UK are set to be closed in the coming years.The end of an era, some of these buildings date back around 100 years or more. If recent history is anything to go by, many will be turned into residential buildings.Lisa Kinch, a historic places adviser for Historic England and associate lecturer at the Manchester School of Architecture, did her PhD research on telephone exchanges in the UK, giving her a unique view on these buildings and their historical context.We discuss her research and the unique place the UK's telephone exchanges have in the country's architectural history.

While critical infrastructure has always been the backbone of the digital landscape, the recent data center boom has caused more people than ever before to become aware of the industry and consider the career opportunities it might have to offer.However, like the tech industry writ large, there’s a perception amongst some outside of the critical infrastructure sector that its workforce lacks diversity and therefore isn't an industry in which they could excel professionally.In this episode, Lizzy McDowell, director of marketing, Kao Data, tries to dispel some of the myths about the industry and discusses the importance of promoting diversity within the data center sector and why there’s never been a better time to consider a career in critical infrastructure.

DCD speaks to Dr. Tim Gregory, nuclear scientist at Sellafield, the UK's national nuclear laboratory, and author of the best-selling book Going Nuclear, about the history of nuclear power, how it actually works, and whether it can play a key role in powering the growth of AI both in the UK and further afield.

Zachary Skidmore, a senior reporter on energy and sustainability, dives into the shifting focus from sustainability to power abundance under the new US administration. Charlotte Trueman, the Compute and Storage Editor, highlights the impact of the Chips and Science incentives on US chip manufacturing, while discussing the challenges of custom silicon. Paul Lipscombe, Telecoms Editor, covers the accelerated fiber rush by major carriers and the struggles of the Broadband Equity program. The team shares insights on advanced nuclear momentum and the dynamic landscape of data centers.

Cyrill Glockner, VP of Partnerships and Product Strategy at Sophia Space, discusses innovative methods for putting compute infrastructure into Earth orbit. He explains the stepwise approach involving SOFIA tiles, which are modular solar panels with integrated GPUs. Cyrill dives into thermal management strategies, redundancy in GPU design, and the benefits of passive cooling in space. He shares insights on the longevity of tiles, potential market models, and predicts that by 2040, space compute could rival Earth’s capabilities.

The UK wants more data centers. The government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, announced in January, is driving operators to look outside of Greater London. We talk to Lee Myall, CEO of Neos Networks – a B2B fiber provider in the UK – about the state of the UK’s connectivity infrastructure, what kind of delays are faced by data center operators in the country, and the impact of AI workloads on fiber buildouts.

Brian Pryor, an investment banker with 16 years at Houlihan Lokey, dives into the rapidly evolving data center market. He discusses the shift from TMT to digital infrastructure, emphasizing the impact of AI on demand. Pryor highlights the urgency behind development timelines due to supply-chain constraints and regulatory hurdles. He evaluates the potential AI bubble and stresses the importance of established operators amidst industry consolidation. By analyzing notable deals and financial interconnections, Pryor paints a vivid picture of the sector's challenges and opportunities.

In this conversation with Drew Turner, Director of Global Decarbonization Solutions at Danfoss, listeners explore innovative ways to utilize data center waste heat for district heating, showcasing projects across Europe. Drew highlights the strategic importance of waste heat and its role in sustainability. He discusses retrofitting benefits, potential applications in pools and aquaculture, and the integration of AI and HPC as heat sources. Drew also emphasizes the need for modernizing existing systems and the future of on-site renewable energy in achieving decarbonization.

Tesh Durvasula, CEO of AtlasEdge, leads the charge in redefining edge data centers across Europe. He reveals how AI and demand for low-latency have propelled the company from small sites to larger 5–50MW facilities. Tesh discusses targeting secondary markets like Lisbon and Barcelona, the challenges of retrofitting older sites, and the role of sustainability in attracting major players. He also touches on innovative power models and the exciting prospects of autonomous driving as a catalyst for edge growth.

Amit Narayan, the Founder and CEO of GridCARE, brings his Stanford research expertise to revolutionize data center grid connections. He discusses how AI uncovers hidden grid capacity, debunking misconceptions about utilization. Narayan emphasizes the necessity of faster connections for AI data center scaling, highlighting the economic benefits for developers. He also explains GridCARE's partnerships with utilities and its potential for international expansion, while considering the role of on-site generation in making data centers better grid citizens.