Data Center News Roundup: Updates From DCW, 911 Outage, New Builds

With data center news moving faster than ever, we want to make it easy for industry professionals to cut through the noise and find the most important stories of the week.

The Data Center Knowledge News Roundup brings you the latest news and developments across the data center industry – from investments and mergers to security threats and industry trends.

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News From Data Center World 2024

Data Center World 2024 kicked off on Monday in Washington, D.C. with the Omdia Analyst Summit. During the event, industry analysts, including Vlad Galabov, head of Omdia’s data center practice, looked at the broader AI market trends and the cooling, power, and infrastructure challenges these are creating for the data center industry.

On Tuesday’s opening keynote panel, execs from Intel and AMD discussed the tremendous impact of AI and advanced GPUs on the data center industry.

As DCK contributor Drew Robb reported, the conversation touched on shifts in data center infrastructure, the benefits of AI-driven automation, the limitations of modernization efforts, and their visions for where the industry is heading.

“The market is rapidly changing,” said Laura Smith, the CVP of engineering solutions at AMD. “No one knows what the ideal architecture will be, but we still need to prepare.”

Stay tuned for more updates and recaps from the conference and expo!

911 Outage Across Four States

On Wednesday, a widespread outage took down the 911 emergency call line in parts of South Dakota, Nebraska, Nevada, and Texas.

During this downtime, which lasted several hours, callers were unable to contact emergency services and dispatchers, highlighting the increasingly fragile nature of this critical safety and response system.

While services have since been restored, no cause has yet been given for the outage.

This Week’s Data Center Deals and Developments

In this week’s data center deals, the U.S. government announced a $6.4 billion subsidy for Samsung to build advanced computer chip manufacturing facilities in Austin, Texas. As part of the deal, Samsung will invest $40 billion of its own money to upgrade a chip factory in Taylor, Texas and build a second factory by 2030.

In Fulton County, Georgia, Microsoft purchased a 136-acre site to continue to grow its data center presence in the Atlanta metro region. As reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Microsoft paid $52.5 million to acquire the land, which is nearby the tech giant’s existing Palmetto data center campus. Since 2023, data center construction in Atlanta has increased by 211%.

Outside the States, Blackstone announced plans to purchase a former Britishvolt battery factory in Northumberland County, England and convert it into a QTS data center campus. While the exact power supply and size is unconfirmed, Blackstone estimates the site could accommodate a 750 MW facility – making it a contender for the title of Europe’s largest data center.

On Monday, Equinix filed an environmental impact assessment for construction of the company's fifth Chilean data center. Known as ST5, the 24,420 square meter complex is estimated to cost $130 million to build. Construction is expected to begin in May 2025.

DCK at the Azbee Awards

Finally, to take a brief moment to toot our own horn, Data Center Knowledge received three awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors in the 2024 Pacific Region Azbee Awards of Excellence.

This recognition reaffirms our commitment to delivering excellence in business-to-business media. We look forward to continuing to serve readers with up-to-the-minute data center news and industry trends.

Other Great Reads on DCK This Week

AI Computing Is on Pace to Consume More Energy Than India, Arm Says. Finding ways to head off a projected tripling of energy use is paramount if artificial intelligence is going to achieve its promise, said Arm Holdings CEO Rene Haas.

New Semiconductor Technologies Could Help Power AI. The market for silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors is growing as data centers strive to improve their energy efficiency and meet carbon reduction goals.

Data Center Rack Density Has Doubled. And It's Still Not Enough. Can solutions like direct-to-chip cooling and rear-door heat exchangers bridge the gap and help data centers meet the overwhelming demands of the AI revolution?

Amazon HQ2 Was Supposed to Add Jobs Last Year. It Shed Them Instead. The downturn in hiring marks another setback in the boost Amazon had initially promised with its HQ2 in Northern Virginia amid a squeeze in the tech industry.

Who Will Replace Intel and AMD in China’s Networks? China telcos have been given three years to find a domestic-built chip that can replace Intel and AMD. Local alternatives are lacking.

Internet Data Centers Are Fueling Drive to Old Power Source: Coal. Virginia data centers that process nearly 70% of global digital traffic need more electricity. Coal-fired power plants in neighboring states are going to provide it.