As far back as its 2020 data center report, techUK identified three key elements behind the success of the digital infrastructure in the UK.

When analyzing how the UK had become the world’s second-largest commercial cluster of data centers – and the largest market in Europe - techUK cited that: ‘the UK’s success probably relies on its ability to provide “power, position and ping”.’

‘Power’ refers to a stable, high-quality electricity supply, whereas ‘Position’ is the access to customers afforded by a given location. And in this context, ‘Ping’ means connectivity.

Since this initial and alliterative analysis, the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) has supercharged the demand for digital infrastructure.

The data center sector has responded well, but the influence the industry holds over the first two P’s is limited. Even with the likes of Microsoft getting involved in hydrogen and nuclear power generation, the vast majority of data center operators are at the mercy of finite energy supplies. And whilst there have been some truly innovative ideas around data centers that can move locations around the world, UK digital infrastructure facilities remain firmly confined within land borders.

However, when it comes to Ping, it is a different story entirely. Improving connectivity is set to become a competitive battleground for most data center operators. The ability to offer remote storage and compute ‘as if it was local’ is incredibly compelling for data-intensive sectors such as AI, IoT, and blockchain.

As a result, 2025 is set to see a huge focus on connectivity. In the Autumn 2024 budget announcement, the UK Government pledged to invest £500m to improve reliable fast broadband and mobile coverage across the UK. This has already attracted the interest of mobile and telco leaders.

Elsewhere, the Government has classified data centers as critical national infrastructure (CNI) and recently commissioned a review to identify barriers to adopting transformative technologies. This review focuses on identifying the high-growth technologies and sectors in the government’s Industrial Strategy, aiming to enhance productivity and drive growth to boost the UK economy. Connectivity is an obvious candidate here.

Pulsant has already made substantial investments in this arena. Our twelve facilities are connected by a private, high-speed, resilient network to create the most geographically diverse, interconnected digital infrastructure in the UK. The objective is access to low-latency connectivity for businesses in all major metros across the UK. This then extends to the Internet, public clouds, global carriers, and Peering Exchanges for further national and international connection.

Looking across the industry, investment is equally high. In July 2024 the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that the ‘market sector’ – that is to say private sector - investment in digital infrastructure was £9.2 billion in 2022. But this figure is not without its own problems. Currently, around 80 percent of data centers are in Slough or the Docklands, so there is a profound need to ensure this digital infrastructure investment is spread across the UK.

Whilst it is almost impossible to predict how these companies will invest in improving connectivity to drive competitiveness, there are indicators. In recent S&P Global research, direct cloud connectivity, Network as a Service, and data center interconnection all featured prominently in investment plans.

Respondents were also asked if they think AI will have a significant impact on their organization's cloud and inter-datacentre networking in the next 12 months. Of all respondents, 80 percent said yes.

If 2023 and 2024 have been the years of increased demand for compute capacity due to AI, 2025 will be the year that businesses want to capitalize on the opportunities afforded by this capacity. That means they will need to connect it to customers, partners, and consumers.

Welcome to the Ping Fight.