Susana Schwartz
Today’s lead story takes a look at one of the bigger worries conveyed at OFC in Los Angeles last week: AI is everywhere, and it has the potential to break the current data center fabric.
“Back when the IEEE specs were formed and written off, they said, we need links to have 2.4e-4 effect error. That by no means is acceptable today,” said Kannan Raj, AI infrastructure architect at Oracle during a panel discussion. “We cannot deliver a healthy fabric with that kind of a specification.”
Read what he has to say about how to scale up, out and across, in today’s top story.
Susana Schwartz
Technology Editor
RCRTech
AI Infrastructure Top Stories
Up, out, and across: At OFC 2026, focus shifted to three AI scaling models – scale-up, scale-out and emerging scale-across – highlighting the need for new optical interconnects linking GPUs within and across data centers.
Australia sets AI rules: Australia has introduced expectations for data center and AI infrastructure projects, linking approvals to national interest, energy use, water efficiency, and local economic contributions as demand for AI capacity grows.
AI Today: What You Need to Know
432MW DC in VA: In Virginia, Ashburn’s Regency residents are being offered more than $4 million per acre to sell their properties to data center developers. According to a DCD report, developers are hoping to build six data centers in the community.
SK Hynix – ASML deal: SK Hynix Inc. plans to spend 11.9 trillion won ($7.9 billion) on cutting-edge extreme ultraviolet lithography chipmaking tools from ASML Holding NV, deepening a push into next-generation memory.
Ultra-Cold Alloys: Researchers in China have developed a new alloy capable of reaching near absolute zero (-273°C) without using helium. This could revolutionize cooling for superconducting quantum chips and military hardware.
Thailand expansion push: Bridge Data Centres is seeking up to $6 billion in financing for Thailand expansion, highlighting intensifying competition to scale AI-ready data center capacity across Southeast Asia.
AI meets the grid: Nvidia and Emerald AI are working with energy firms to develop flexible AI factories that integrate compute with power systems, aiming to speed deployment and support grid stability.
10GW power expansion: NextEra Energy received approval to develop up to 10 GW of gas-fired power in the U.S., supporting rising electricity demand from data centers and industrial infrastructure.
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