
Blog Article
As a carrier-neutral provider, Sabey Data Centers offers a diverse ecosystem of networks in its facilities. With the AI boom setting in, Sabey is taking steps to ensure that its end customers will continue to have access to the high-speed connectivity they need to meet the AI Boom.
As companies invest in high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure to support their artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives, the need for robust and reliable networks is more critical than ever. AI applications depend on real-time or near-real-time input signals from networks to receive data and transmit results quickly to end users. A fast-access, high-speed network enables better AI application performance, while a slower, high-latency network disrupts the signals and reduces AI processing times.
“I don’t think we’ve seen the full impact of AI yet,” says Carlie Schooner, Carrier Relations Manager at Sabey. “I still feel like it's a bit early. But it’s Sabey’s responsibility to build on our relationships with network carriers, and to help them establish and maintain their footprints in our facilities. Our clients need high-speed, high-bandwidth connections to handle their AI traffic, so we need to have the networks and equipment in place for when they need it.”
Meet-Me Rooms & Carrier Equipment Rooms
In each of Sabey’s facilities, connectivity is centered around the Meet-Me Room and the Carrier Equipment Room. The Meet-Me Room (MMR) is a dedicated space where Sabey’s clients interconnect or cross-connect to high-speed networks. Usually, a carrier keeps rack panel units in the MMR, with ports where data center customers can plug in fiber connections from their IT or HPC infrastructure.
The Carrier Equipment Room (CER) is where Sabey’s carrier partners store and operate the cabinets that power their network equipment in that facility. If a carrier is building a Point of Presence in a newly-built Sabey data center – or establishing a new presence in a facility they’ve never been in before – they will lease space to install a rack in the MMR and a cabinet in the CER.
“As a Carrier Relations Manager,” Shooner explains, “I’m in constant communication with network carriers to include and enhance their connectivity at existing Sabey locations, along with network planning for our future facilities. I work with Sabey’s Operations, Legal, Sales & Marketing and Accounting teams to deal with any network or contract issues.”
How A.I. Has Changed Network Services
Although Sabey provides the diverse range of carriers for its clients, it’s up to the carriers themselves to build out their networks.
“When I talk to carriers today,” says Shooner, “their main focus is on building up their networks to support their end customers. In the future, they’re predicting that 400GB wave requests will become the norm, and they expect customers to be even more sensitive to latency. Their chief concern is making sure they have the equipment in place in data centers to handle those high-bandwidth requests. Also, they’re adding more capacity to their most popular cities and network routes.”
When Sabey asked its network partners about their future plans, Cogent Networks had this to say:
“We take a proactive approach to network upgrades, increasing our capacity to keep up with bandwidth demands. At present, we carry roughly 25% of global Internet traffic, while our network is only 28% utilized, meaning we have substantial room to grow. Cogent’s extensive network includes presence in over 1650 data centers worldwide, and we’ve added a purpose-built Optical Wavelength network in 650 North American facilities. Since we build in redundancy and capacity from the beginning, our network can easily handle AI workloads and traffic spikes.”
Another carrier, who asked to remain anonymous, said:
“Working with industry leaders who are deploying data centers, we’re proactively evaluating capacity, overbuilding and upgrading our fiber backbone to meet increased demands. Our highly scalable network is capable of providing Dark Fiber, Wavelength (up to 400G) & Ethernet services in metro and rural areas. We continue to build and extend fiber based on speculative opportunities within the data center environment.”
Carlie Shooner adds, “Increased capacity means there’s going to be a larger need for available data center space and power for network equipment. It’s Sabey’s responsibility to make sure we have that space and power ready in our facilities.”
Establishing Presence in Remote Areas
An additional factor that affects network speed is the distance the data must travel between servers running AI applications and the end users. The shorter the distance, the quicker the processing times, and the better the AI application performance. The longer the distance, the more the network is affected by latency, and the slower the processing times. Carriers are trying to further remedy this problem by establishing footprints in rural markets, through a combination of ongoing network builds and acquisitions.
Cogent Data Centers told us:
“We are currently adding Points of Presence in remote locations such as eastern Washington, Montana and Wyoming. This allows us to rapidly deliver superior connectivity to rural service providers and to remote data centers serving AI customers. By establishing a footprint in data centers outside of traditional tech hubs, we enable our customers to deploy connectivity where they need it, whether for edge computing solutions or new AI services.”
“As Sabey continues to build new data centers in rural markets, it’s our responsibility to help carriers establish Points of Presence in these new facilities. By doing this, we can continue to provide the vital link to network bandwidth that our customers require for their AI applications and HPC deployments.”
If you want to learn more about how Sabey will work with carriers to navigate connectivity in the Age of AI, connect with a team member today.
Carlie Shooner, Sr. Carrier Relations Manager