As AI workloads surge and services spring up from Northumberland to Wales, Lee Myall, CEO of Neos Networks, argues that Britain should radically re-engineer its two-decade-old core networks – or danger throttling its digital ambitions.
Over the previous 20 years, the UK’s core fibre networks have quietly powered the nation’s digital ambitions. Laid within the early 2000s, this spine has served us effectively, supporting the rise of streaming to the primary waves of cloud computing. However at this time, the explosive progress of AI and the subsequent technology of information centre improvement are exposing the bounds of legacy infrastructure.
New hubs, outdated networks
AI is inherently altering the best way we use and transfer knowledge. AI workloads are far more demanding and data-intensive than conventional functions, requiring larger bandwidth and decrease latency than wanted beforehand. As organisations throughout the private and non-private sectors proceed to prioritise automation and innovation, the demand for high-performance compute is surging. This, in flip, helps to gas extra knowledge centre initiatives throughout the UK. In actual fact, based on the United Kingdom Information Centre Panorama 2025 report, the market is about to double by 2028.
However it’s not simply in regards to the variety of new knowledge centre websites. What’s additionally completely different now could be the geography of this progress. Whereas London and established hubs like Slough, Stockley Park, and Hemel Hempstead stay necessary, we’re beginning to see clear decentralisation. New knowledge centre developments are arising in areas akin to Oxford, Wales, and Northumberland, which haven’t traditionally been core to the UK’s digital infrastructure. This shift is pushed by land and energy constraints in conventional hubs, the necessity to course of knowledge nearer to finish customers, and the rise of edge computing.
Current high-profile initiatives, such because the hyperscale improvement in Northumberland, additionally spotlight the sector’s rising impression on regional energy grids and native carbon targets. As knowledge centre progress spreads to new areas, it’s necessary for community and power methods to evolve collectively to fulfill future necessities. For instance, firms are already exploring options akin to co-locating knowledge centres subsequent to renewable power websites to ease the pressure on the grid and increase effectivity. Finally, the UK wants much less fragmented planning processes for power and infrastructure.
The community below stress
New decentralised knowledge centres are placing larger demand on the UK’s present community infrastructure. However, a lot of this infrastructure nonetheless will depend on core fibre routes put in a long time in the past, designed to legacy efficiency standards. In consequence, these routes now face diminished capability and availability, together with some degradation over time. As improvement spreads past conventional London-centric hubs, new areas face intense stress on bandwidth, latency, and resilience, and legacy networks are struggling to maintain up.
Edge computing provides one other layer of complexity. These smaller, distributed, but nonetheless substantial services shall be positioned in cities and cities past the key knowledge centre hubs, and are necessary for supporting AI inference, IoT, and real-time providers. Every new web site turns into a node that wants sturdy, high-quality connectivity, additional growing the dimensions and intricacy of the community problem.
The case for evolving core networks
Nonetheless, evolving the UK’s core networks means extra than simply incremental upgrades. We want a full rethink of how we design, construct, and function our nationwide spine. This implies focused funding in new long-haul fibre routes to attach rising areas, enhancing native and regional hyperlinks, and constructing a extra distributed, resilient core that may flex to help each hyperscale services and a rising edge footprint. This strategy will assist make sure that digital transformation, and the advantages of AI, are accessible throughout all areas of the UK.
The Authorities’s recognition of information centres as important nationwide infrastructure is a constructive step, however this should be matched by a real dedication to upgrading the networks that help them. The identical applies to the AI Alternatives Motion Plan, which units out the UK’s ambitions for AI-driven innovation and progress is necessary. Nonetheless, these objectives will solely be achieved if the underlying infrastructure is match for goal. A coordinated strategy between private and non-private sectors shall be key to retaining the UK aggressive as a vacation spot for digital funding.
Collaboration is vital
After years of deal with knowledge centres, buyers at the moment are turning their consideration again to the core networks that join them. Even when solely half the information centre capability presently within the pipeline is realised, it would require a big uplift in community funding. The federal government’s position ought to be to clear the runway – lowering paperwork, supporting energy technology, and making certain a stage taking part in area for all community suppliers. Overly complicated regulation and anti-competitive practices, akin to incumbent operators deterring different funding, should be tackled head-on.
Delivering the subsequent technology of core infrastructure would require real collaboration throughout the business. Incumbents and different community suppliers alike have to work collectively, whereas regulators should create the circumstances for continued funding and innovation. In future, we’re additionally prone to see infrastructure initiatives spanning a number of sectors, with digital infrastructure developed alongside transport and power networks.
The UK has a robust monitor document of digital management. By evolving our core networks consistent with knowledge centre progress, we will make sure that AI ambitions are realised in each area, whereas strengthening our place as a compelling vacation spot for worldwide knowledge flows and funding.
