Navigating Digital Infrastructure’s Next Frontier

Originally posted on NEDAS

In a recent NEDAS Live! podcast, Jonathan Hjembo, Senior Manager of Infrastructure Research at TeleGeography, joins host Ilissa Miller to offer a compelling analysis of the digital infrastructure landscape. He sheds light on the industry’s intricate challenges and groundbreaking developments, providing valuable insights into its current state and future direction.

Hjembo began by discussing TeleGeography’s foundational mission: mapping the geography of global telecommunications networks. Over time, the company has expanded its focus from monitoring voice networks to analyzing international internet routes, transport networks, and critical infrastructure like subsea cables. He describes digital infrastructure as a multifaceted ecosystem, encompassing cables, internet backbones, cloud providers, data centers, and internet exchange platforms.

The conversation later addresses a significant 2019 power crisis that hit major data center markets. Cities like Singapore, Frankfurt, Dublin, and Amsterdam imposed restrictions on new data center development, while Northern Virginia faced transmission limits. Despite these obstacles, demand grew, prompting development in regions like Malaysia, Indonesia, and parts of the U.S. Eastern Seaboard.

Artificial intelligence has since amplified these challenges. Hjembo compares AI’s impact to “throwing gasoline on the fire,” noting its applications require far more power than traditional cloud services. This surge has driven the industry to explore new energy sources and adopt solutions like liquid cooling to meet AI’s energy demands.

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