by Sami Slim, CEO of Telehouse France
Submarine cables, once the internet’s hidden highways that carried data between continents, have now been brought into the global spotlight. Conflicts in key maritime zones have threatened to sever these crucial links, affecting the connections that data centres have with global networks and forcing companies to reroute critical traffic, or bypass entire regions altogether.
Another layer of complexity has also been added by how countries differentiate in the regulation of their data centre infrastructure. This has left operators navigating a patchwork of restrictions in the attempts to support customer demands and power the next wave of digital services.
These strains are serving as a wake-up call for a more unified approach to connectivity around the world. Without stronger cooperation, the industry could see critical gaps in the development of the global digital economy and a slowdown in the development of AI-driven services.
Navigating geopolitical tensions
Rising geopolitical tensions risk fragmenting the global digital economy. Submarine cables, the backbone of global internet traffic, are now being actively targeted, either through geopolitical bargaining or outright attacks. In 2024, four submarine cables were severed in the Red Sea in a suspected sabotage attack, affecting an estimated 25% of traffic flowing between Asia and Europe. The situation has now escalated to a point where organisations are laying down cables that will not pass through certain regions.
Meta has opted to bypass Europe for one of its new submarine cable projects, instead connecting Asia directly to the US via Africa. But if this trend continues, we could see entire continents missing out on access to the global digital economy. Connectivity should be ubiquitous. Greater collaboration between technology providers and data centre operators is essential to navigate these risks, ensuring that new cables reach as many regions around the world as possible.
Beyond connectivity, the fragmented nature of data centre regulations presents challenges. Even within Europe, discrepancies between national policies, such as with sustainability targets, can create hurdles for operators. However, the EU has now taken steps to establish a scheme across the bloc where data centre operators must report their key performance indicators to the European database. This regulation will help to ensure that operators across each country are aligned to meeting the same sustainability targets, as they expand their operations to meet emerging technologies such as AI.
The role of data centres in AI development
A cooperative approach to technology governance is also critical due to the role of AI and high-density computing in powering complex data analysis, autonomous systems, materials science, and even drug discovery.
For example, the training of AI models is not particularly sensitive to latency, but the real-time processing of AI tasks, or AI inference, requires ultra-low-latency environments. AI workloads therefore need to be positioned closer to end users, making reliable global infrastructure more crucial than ever.
In the context of AI adoption, global collaboration is also needed to standardise liquid cooling deployments, which are essential for supporting higher performance and computationally demanding AI infrastructure. However, different hardware providers are developing their own proprietary cooling solutions, making it difficult for operators to implement a single, standardised infrastructure. If hardware manufacturers don’t cooperate to create a common solution, data centres will face higher costs and operational inefficiencies.
Working together for a solution
Geopolitical tensions are reshaping global internet traffic, with major organisations rerouting cables to avoid critical regions. Meanwhile, inconsistent regulations and a lack of standardisation in data centre operations are slowing the adoption of emerging technologies. This is resulting in inefficiencies, higher costs, and missed opportunities for AI-driven innovation.
To keep the digital economy running smoothly, data centre operators, tech providers, and policymakers must work together. Expanding cable networks, strengthening connectivity, and streamlining infrastructure development will ensure resilience and unlock AI’s potential. As real-time data processing becomes essential, seamless global connectivity will drive innovation and economic growth worldwide.
Discover more about the role that data centres, such as Telehouse, play in international connectivity.