Data centers are critical, but they do not exist in isolation
In the first Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) designation in more than a decade, the UK government has now announced that data centers should be given the same mission-critical status as energy and water systems, in a bid to protect them from potential threats. This important step is in line with broader European policy, which recognizes the vital role these facilities play in protecting data, powering cloud services and encouraging technological innovation.
As dependence on digital services continues to grow, especially with the rise of AI tools and cloud-based applications, ensuring the security and resilience of data centers has become a top priority for governments and businesses alike. The UK’s focus on increasing protection against cyber attacks and system failures underlines the increasing recognition of their role in maintaining social and economic stability.
However, securing data centers alone is not enough. These facilities are part of a much larger network ecosystem. Without a robust interconnection and network infrastructure connecting them, the data they store and process cannot flow effectively across borders, industries or platforms. As the world becomes more dependent on digital services, the ability to ensure uninterrupted, high-quality connectivity between data centers and networks is critical – not just for organizations or communities, but for entire economies.
Is protecting data centers alone enough?
We are currently seeing tremendous growth in data center absorption and new construction projects, driven by recent innovations in AI. In the US, for example, our recently published research shows that current construction projects and plans for future projects will grow the megawatt (MW) capacity in the market by 160% in the coming years to approximately 28,000 MW, an increase of just under 28,000 MW. today more than 11,000 MW. And we haven’t even mentioned the new construction plans of colocation providers or hyperscalers that may be announced next month! Similar booms are being seen around the world, including Britain.
Data centers house everything from critical business data to the applications that support daily life. But as industries shift more towards AI, machine learning and cloud services, it is not the data centers alone, but the combination with connectivity that is quickly becoming indispensable. This is because the seamless exchange of data is one of the most effective economic drivers in the modern world. The surge in demand for cloud computing, combined with the increasing reliance on AI-driven services, has led to exponential growth in the amount of data being generated, stored and exchanged. This makes the physical and digital security of data centers crucial to the smooth functioning of modern society – a fact that Britain, along with its European counterparts, has now formally recognised.
However, there is more to this photo. It’s not just about the data that resides in these centers, but also how that data is moved, accessed and used. The value of a data center that provides services to enterprises is directly related to its ability to connect with others through resilient, high-performance networks. Without effective interconnection, even the most advanced data centers struggle to deliver on their promise of real-time, low-latency applications and services. In an interconnected global economy, the failure to prioritize connectivity and interconnect security – as well as data center security – threatens not only technological progress, but also economic stability.
It’s time to talk about interconnection
We have established the indispensable role of data centers in our IT infrastructure, but in reality their true value is fixed until they are seamlessly connected. Interconnection platforms – or Internet Exchanges (IXs) – are hubs that encourage the aggregation of networks and cloud services, housed in multiple data centers, and allow them to connect and exchange data directly, bypassing the public Internet.
Data center and carrier neutral platforms are independent of a single provider, allowing organizations to choose the best data centers and the best network routes, without being tied to one specific supplier. They also enable many more options for creating a geographically redundant infrastructure to ensure the greatest resilience in the event of disruptions. This setup reduces latency, increases reliability, and prevents long-term vendor lock-in, giving companies the flexibility to customize and scale their digital connectivity while ensuring continuous, high-performance data flow across networks.
In Europe, the framework supporting data center-neutral and carrier-neutral interconnection has set a global precedent. By separating infrastructure from individual service providers, the European model not only increases resilience, but also promotes competition, reducing costs and improving connectivity performance. This neutrality is quickly becoming critical to maintaining the smooth, uninterrupted flow of data that ambitious economies now require.
The US is now following suit. The recently released ‘Roadmap to Enhancing Internet Routing Security’ is a clear recognition that the strength of a country’s digital economy depends not only on data centers, but also on secure, reliable interconnection. Over the past decade, the US has adopted a model in which data exchange is not dependent on a single provider or location. Instead, neutral internet exchanges and interconnection platforms can now provide improved resilience and cybersecurity of these data flows. This move reflects a much broader understanding that vendor-neutral platforms enable more resilient connectivity by enabling organizations to reduce points of failure in their infrastructure and improve redundancy across the network.
Let’s go deep
One of the key drivers of this shift in the US is the country’s growing concern about the economic and security risks posed by its aging, fragmented, vendor-dependent infrastructure. In an effort to address these concerns, over 80% of US Internet exchanges are now neutral, allowing multiple data centers and service providers to be intertwined, ensuring that even if problems occur on one path, data still flows freely through alternative routes can move.
The importance of this cannot be overstated. As AI-driven applications increasingly require real-time data processing and ultra-low latency, any disruptions in connectivity could have serious consequences for business operations and broader economic activity. So even with the most powerful colocation and hyperscale data centers in the world, progress and innovation will still be hampered without the use of neutral interconnection points. The decentralized, redundant nature of neutral interconnection platforms creates a more secure and reliable environment for data exchange, strengthening not only national security but also the competitiveness of digital economies on the global stage.
Designating data centers as critical infrastructure is a positive first step by the UK government, similar to protecting vital buildings in a city. But just as a city depends on roads and intersections to function and keep everything moving, digital infrastructure depends on networks and interconnection platforms to keep data flowing smoothly. To truly ensure connectivity, governments must not only secure data centers, but ensure that the entire interconnection ecosystem, including networks and IXs, is robust, resilient and well-guarded.
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