Login to access
Want to subscribe?
This article is part of: Executive Briefing Service, Network Innovation
To find out more about how to join or access this report please contact us
The data centre industry stands at an inflection point: poised for rapid AI-driven growth, but only if it can navigate key challenges.
This ‘Coffee break reading’ piece has been designed to be short and easy to read, presenting our opinion on a hot topic and challenging you to think about it too.
In this edition, we consider five key topics discussed at Datacloud Global Congress 2025, and identify the recurring themes that flowed throughout.
At the start of June 2025, more than 4,000 attendees from 65 countries gathered in Cannes for the event. While the agenda featured no shortage of optimism around AI-driven growth, the conversations among data centre operators, hyperscaler tenants, vendors and policymakers revealed a more complex picture. Below the headline figures and bullish growth forecasts, there is a growing recognition that the industry is approaching a critical inflection point: scale is accelerating, but questions remain around energy availability, efficiency, and a dynamic customer base.
Download now to get our take in a 10-minute read.
Our insight covers the following key points:
- Recurring themes
- Infrastructure buildout accelerates, while future utilisation remains unpredictable
- Power gets the headlines – but the interconnect angle is key
- Public perception is shaping delivery and timelines
- The industry is committed to sustainability – but questioning the policy playbook
- Infrastructure design norms are in flux – and flexibility is the only constraint.
If you are not a subscriber, enter your details below to download an extract of the report
Related research:
- Not all telcos need to build their own AI factories
- Networks for AI: Segmenting the growth
- AI: Good or bad for sustainability?
- Preventing multimillion dollar data centre losses through reporting
