AI data centers need more network capacity. But building that capacity creates a question fiber providers can’t afford to overlook: Who carries the risk when plans, costs or timelines change?
As hyperscale data centers expand into new markets, regional fiber providers are being asked to support increasingly complex infrastructure projects. That creates opportunity, but it also creates exposure.
In a recent Fierce Network article, DQE Communications CEO Mike Sicoli joined other industry leaders to discuss the growing demands AI data centers are placing on fiber providers. One challenge Sicoli highlighted: providers are increasingly being asked to assume more risk tied to project costs and timelines. That makes disciplined planning and clear project scoping even more important.
Capacity is only part of the conversation. Large-scale infrastructure projects also need to account for how networks are designed — including the need for multiple physically diverse fiber paths.
For organizations planning around AI-driven growth, that raises a few important questions:
- How well defined are project costs and timelines?
- Where is project risk being assumed?
- Does the network design include physically diverse paths?
- Is the infrastructure plan keeping pace with the demands being placed on it?
AI may be accelerating network investment. That doesn’t mean every investment should be approached the same way. The bigger the opportunity, the more important the planning behind it.
Read the full Fierce Network article to hear Mike Sicoli’s perspective on the risks and infrastructure demands shaping AI data center growth.
