PTC'26: Industry grapples with AI, infrastructure demands, regulatory challenges

The AI and data center nexus

AI was a clear catalyst for discussion, driving an unprecedented global race for data center capacity, power, and efficiency. The agenda was packed with sessions like "Global Data Center Investing: Scaling for the AI Era" and "The Power Play: Infrastructure, Innovation, and Investment in Data Centers," underscoring the immense capital flowing into the sector.

However, the dialogue has matured beyond simply building more. A significant focus was on sustainability and operational intelligence. Sessions such as "AI-Driven Data Center Construction and Management" and Siemens Energy AG project development director Anabel España's presentation at the "Optimizing Hybrid Energy Systems for Data Center Power" session highlighted the industry's effort to meet voracious energy demands responsibly.

Power and land constraints were also noted as hurdles to shifting from AI training to inference and edge computing in sessions, including "AI at the Edge" and "Latin America Rising: Hyperscale and AI Infrastructure in Focus." Vulnerable to the same power and cooling challenges, in addition to the collision risk in orbit, satellites can also be viewed as data centers in space, according to Brendan Meyer, regional senior manager at SpaceX.

Finally, Raj Mirpuri, vice president of enterprise and cloud sales at NVIDIA Corp. underscored the importance of working with all AI and data center ecosystem partners "to make sure every application, every tool, […], whether it's training or inference exercise, […] runs seamlessly."

A multi-layered approach to connectivity

The infrastructure build-out extends far beyond the data center walls. A key theme was the necessity of a multi-layered network strategy to deliver data to and from these core hubs. On the terrestrial front, Joel Orgen, CEO and founder of Assured Communications Advisors International LLC, as well as speakers from Telstra InfraCo, Xenith IG, NJFX LLC and FLAG, emphasized the critical role of high-capacity fiber in connecting continents, while highlighting significant regulatory constraints and country-specific issues, as well as disparate government approaches to fiber construction.

Concurrently, satellite technology has emerged as an essential component for achieving true digital inclusion. For the vast and geographically dispersed Asian and Pacific Islands, where laying fiber is often impossible, LEO satellite constellations are becoming a game-changer. Providers like StarLink and Eutelsat Communications SA are rapidly expanding their services, offering a vital lifeline to previously unconnected islands and remote territories.

Bridging the digital divide and navigating the connectivity landscape

While the Asia Pacific region is a hub of digital innovation, millions remain offline, particularly in the Pacific Islands. The conference reflected a holistic approach to this issue, combining technology, policy and human development.

On the one hand, discussions around "The Evolution and Future of Submarine Fiber Optic Cable Capacity" emphasized the need for higher-capacity, lower-latency terrestrial connections. A prime example is Fiji's new Tabua submarine cable, expected to be operational in the first quarter of 2026, dramatically increasing the island nation's connectivity to global networks by connecting it with United States and Australia.

On the other hand, satellite service providers, including Starlink and Eutelsat, are expanding their coverage across the region, offering high-speed backhaul and direct-to-consumer services that promise to connect previously isolated communities.

Conference speakers noted that this multi-access strategy, combining fiber and satellite, is essential for creating a resilient and inclusive network across the Pacific, and that public-private partnerships are needed to foster investment and ensure equitable access. Furthermore, speakers from Pacific Island nations, including Christina Lasaqa, CEO of Solomon Telekom Co. Ltd, and Tenanoia Simona, CEO of Tuvalu Telecommunication Corp., as well as Greg Wheeler, COO of altafiber, called for strategic responses, including hybrid network solutions, consistent regulatory environment, partnerships between service providers, and leveraging incumbent telcos’ customer relationships and ground infrastructure when partnering with satellite service providers.

Navigating the regulatory and social landscape

On the regulatory front, the rapid advancement of AI has created a complex, fragmented compliance landscape. In the US, the absence of a single, overarching federal law has led to an increasing patchwork of state and local laws, creating significant compliance challenges. While recent executive orders aim to advance US leadership in AI infrastructure, the regulatory framework is still catching up to the technology's development.

This uncertainty was a key topic in sessions, including "AI Governance: Cross-National Comparisons" and "Policy and Regulation: Friend or Foe for Digital Infrastructure in the AI Age," where stakeholders debated how to balance innovation with security, privacy, and ethical guidelines. In the latter session, government and industry experts aligned on the need for massive investment in digital infrastructure to sustain an AI-led economy but also agreed that this would entail trade-offs among speed, security, and supply chain integrity. Troy Tazbaz, senior vice president of corporate strategy and operations at Oracle Corp., pointed out that achieving national AI leadership requires alignment among the federal government, the private sector, and the states. However, an execution strategy is lacking. Joseph Alm, deputy secretary for economic security at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, agreed that two-way dialogue is needed between the government and industry, stressing that domesticating industry, building stable, secure supply chains, and removing sole-source dependencies must be economic priorities for both sides.