E D I T O R ' S Q U E S T I O N
Expansion into regions outside of the FLAP-D areas , from a UK perspective , signifies a pivotal shift towards ‘ Data Centre 2.0 ’, propelled by advancements in AI technology and changing data centre architectures . This new phase is moving away from the high-density , large campus data centres characteristic of the FLAP-D cities , towards a more distributed model in which large ‘ core ’ data centres and smaller , regional Edge data centres coexist – allowing more control over where power is drawn from and why .
These ‘ core ’ data centres will continue to cater to the needs of hyperscale cloud services and Large Language Models ( LLMs ) by providing compute at scale , located in areas where multi- MW power and land are available . By contrast , Edge data centres , smaller in scale and typically sub-10MW , are driven by the need for low latency and enhanced connectivity , catering to Internet-of-Things ( IoT ) applications and AI inference workloads where real-time data processing is crucial .
This distribution not only responds to the growing concerns surrounding data residency , sovereignty and privacy , but also alleviates the pressure on power generation and distribution infrastructures within densely populated cities . The deployment of Edge data centres in regional cities is hugely important to diversifying and distributing the compute power in FLAP-D cities .
Those cities are trying to solve serious logistical challenges ; power constraints impacting the electricity supply to local homes has led to restrictions on new data centre construction in Amsterdam and Dublin , for example . There have been similar issues in London ’ s Docklands and Slough areas , with construction on new homes halted amidst the country ’ s housing crisis .
The future of Edge Computing infrastructure , therefore , lies in embracing regional diversity , where the expansion of regional data centres across regional capitals and larger cities emerges as a critical strategy . This approach not only circumvents the limitations posed by power and land availability but also enhances application performance , security and customer experience through improved data management and compliance with legislative requirements .
As Europe and the UK moves towards this more nuanced , multi-tiered data centre landscape , the opportunities for investors , governmental policy alignment and IT growth are expected to flourish , marking a significant evolution from the FLAP-D-centric model to a more inclusive and adaptable infrastructure framework .
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THIS DISTRIBUTION NOT ONLY RESPONDS TO THE GROWING CONCERNS SURROUNDING DATA RESIDENCY , SOVEREIGNTY AND PRIVACY , BUT ALSO ALLEVIATES THE PRESSURE ON POWER GENERATION AND DISTRIBUTION INFRASTRUCTURES WITHIN DENSELY POPULATED CITIES .
MARK LEWIS , CMO , PULSANT
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