Mike Santos
Hardware & Infrastructure Reporter

Data centers, networking gear, and the physical layer of the internet. Previously covered telecom infrastructure at Light Reading.

Latest

Amazon Web Services is accelerating its AI data center deployment with its 'Titus project,' part of a $200 billion capital expenditure plan to handle next-generation AI hardware.

Amazon to Invest $200 Billion to Future-Proof Its AI Data Centers

* Amazon plans a record $200 billion in capital expenditures this year, much of it for AI data centers. * The internal "Titus" project aims to cut data center construction time to under 35 weeks and increase site capacity to 68 megawatts. * AWS is deploying advanced liquid-cooling systems to handle power-hungry new GPUs from Nvidia, targeting a 15% reduction in cooling power.

Keel Infrastructure, formerly Bitfarms, reported a Q1 2026 net loss of $145.4 million while detailing its strategic transformation into an AI and HPC data center developer with a 2.2 GW pipeline.

Keel Infrastructure posts $145M loss to fund 2.2 GW AI data center pivot

**Key Takeaways** * Keel Infrastructure reported a $145.4 million net loss on $37 million in revenue for Q1 2026, with revenue down 22% year-over-year. * The company is executing a pivot from Bitcoin mining to AI, backed by $533 million in liquidity to develop 2.2 gigawatts of data center capacity. * Management targets signing three data center leases by year-end for its Pennsylvania and Washington sites, with power available starting in 2027.

Tech companies, including SpaceX and Amazon.com, are competing to deploy thousands of satellites into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to establish global broadband internet coverage, with the market projected to grow to 200 million users by 2030.

Satellite Race Heats Up as LEO Market Eyes 200 Million Users

**Key Takeaways** * The low-Earth orbit satellite internet market is projected to grow from 10 million users today to over 200 million by 2030. * Component suppliers like STMicroelectronics have driven user terminal costs down from over $1,300 to just "several tens" of dollars per unit. * SpaceX and Amazon are the primary competitors, with SpaceX also launching satellite batches for the US National Reconnaissance Office.

Lumen Technologies announced a $475 million acquisition of Alkira on May 11, 2026, to build a programmable AI-era network and expand its enterprise services.

Lumen pays $475 million for Alkira to build AI-era network

**Key Takeaways:** * Lumen will acquire Alkira for $475 million in cash, shifting its focus toward software-driven networking. * The deal targets a $70 billion enterprise market for AI workload traffic, strengthening Lumen's digital offerings. * Alkira's carrier-agnostic platform allows for scalable global expansion with lower capital expenditure.

Disney is launching 'Infinity Vision,' a certification program for over 1,000 premium large-format screens, to directly compete with IMAX after losing out on screen access for its next 'Avengers' film.

Disney challenges IMAX dominance with new 1,000-screen network

**Key Takeaways** * Disney is launching 'Infinity Vision' to certify over 1,000 premium screens, creating a direct competitor to IMAX for its upcoming 'Avengers' movie. * The move follows a scheduling conflict where Warner Bros.' 'Dune: Part Three' secured the December IMAX release window, leaving Disney's blockbuster without access. * Premium formats are crucial to the box office recovery, with analysts forecasting a $10 billion year, and IMAX expecting record revenue of $443 million.

On May 8, 2026, former Bitcoin mining company TeraWulf reported steeper-than-expected losses for the first quarter and is transitioning its business to developing AI data centers.

TeraWulf's $12.8B AI Pivot Masks Q1 2026 Earnings Miss

**Key Takeaways:** * TeraWulf reported a wider-than-expected loss for the first quarter of 2026, missing consensus estimates as its legacy Bitcoin mining operations face pressure. * The company's strategic pivot to high-performance computing has secured more than $12.8 billion in long-term contracts for 522 megawatts of AI data center capacity. * Investors focused on the AI growth story, pushing the stock up 50.6% in April ahead of the earnings report, largely ignoring the mining unit's performance.

China Mobile announced its plan to build a nationwide computing power network and launch a trillion-token AI service trial package, signaling a major investment into the country's competitive AI infrastructure sector.

China Mobile to launch trillion-token AI trial in network push

**The move signals a major push to compete in China's booming AI sector, leveraging its massive network infrastructure to challenge established cloud players.**

China Mobile announced its plan to build a nationwide computing power network and launch a trillion-token AI service trial, entering the competitive AI infrastructure market.

China Mobile to Launch Trillion-Token AI Service With New Computing Network

**China Mobile is making a firm entry into the AI computing arms race, announcing a nationwide network and a massive new AI service package.**

OpenAI, in partnership with five other major tech companies, has launched Multipath Reliable Connection (MRC), a new networking protocol to enhance AI supercomputer performance.

OpenAI and 5 Partners Launch MRC to Boost AI Factories

**A new networking protocol developed with OpenAI and Nvidia aims to solve the biggest bottleneck in training large-scale AI models.**

A growing debate around a 'compute tax' on artificial intelligence is gaining momentum, fueled by public backlash against the massive energy and water consumption of new data centers in states like New Jersey and Texas.

Why a New Tax on AI Has Support From 3 Unlikely Places

**A proposed tax on AI processing power is moving from academic theory to serious policy debate, as the industry’s multi-billion dollar data center expansion faces growing opposition from local communities.**

Bitcoin miner Core Scientific announced a $421 million deal to acquire bitcoin miner Polaris to expand its AI data center campus in Oklahoma.

Core Scientific to Buy Polaris for $421 Million, Boosting AI Data Center Power

**Key Takeaways** * Core Scientific will acquire Polaris DS LLC for an initial $421 million to accelerate the expansion of its Oklahoma AI data center campus. * The deal secures 440 MW of contracted power, a key component in the plan to scale the Muskogee site to 1.5 GW of gross capacity for AI and high-performance computing. * Shares jumped over 10% as the company continues its strategic pivot from its Bitcoin mining origins to capitalize on the high-growth AI infrastructure market.

On May 6, 2026, Bloomberg reported that Microsoft is holding internal discussions about potentially delaying or reducing its hourly clean energy matching goal to accommodate the rapid expansion of its AI data centers.

Microsoft May Delay 2030 Clean Energy Goal for AI Growth

**Microsoft is reportedly weighing a delay to its 2030 clean energy goal, a move that highlights the growing conflict between the tech industry's AI ambitions and its environmental commitments.**

Hut 8 Corp. announced a $9.8 billion, 15-year lease agreement to develop a 352-megawatt AI data center, signaling a major strategic pivot from cryptocurrency mining and causing its stock to surge.

Hut 8 signs $9.8B AI lease for 352 MW Nvidia data center

**Key Takeaways:** * Hut 8 secured a 15-year, $9.8 billion triple-net lease for a 352 MW AI data center, bringing its total contracted AI revenue to approximately $16.8 billion. * The deal validates Hut 8’s strategic pivot from a cryptocurrency miner to an AI infrastructure developer, significantly de-risking its revenue from volatile crypto markets. * **Hut 8 Development Pipeline (as of May 6, 2026)** | Stage | Utility Capacity | |---|---| | Energy Capacity Under Diligence | 5,315 MW | | Energy Capacity Under Exclusivity | 1,680 MW | | Energy Capacity Under Development | 550 MW | | Energy Capacity Under Construction | 830 MW | | **Total** | **8,375 MW** |

The increasing heat from next-generation AI chips is necessitating a shift to liquid cooling in data centers, creating a boom market for suppliers and prompting major acquisitions.

AI data center cooling market heats up with 12 stocks surging 100%

**Key Takeaways:** * A basket of 12 stocks involved in data center cooling has surged an average of 100% over the past 12 months as demand for AI power and thermal management explodes. * M&A activity is accelerating, highlighted by Ecolab's planned $4.8 billion acquisition of CoolIT and Trane Technologies' $1 billion purchase of Stellar Energy. * Hyperscaler demand is driving record backlogs, with Carrier reporting a 500% increase in data center orders and Eaton securing a nearly $20 billion backlog.

Ted Turner, the visionary founder of CNN and Turner Broadcasting System, has died at the age of 87, leaving a legacy that transformed the media landscape.

Ted Turner, media titan who launched CNN, dies at 87

**Ted Turner, the visionary and often controversial entrepreneur who revolutionized television with the creation of the first 24-hour news network, has died at 87.**

Data center company Stack Infrastructure, owned by Blue Owl Capital, is reportedly considering a sale of its Asia operations in a deal potentially valued at over $30 billion, as reported by Bloomberg News on May 5, 2026.

Blue Owl’s Stack Infrastructure weighs Asia unit sale for over $30 billion

**A potential sale of Stack Infrastructure's Asian operations for over $30 billion highlights intense investor demand for data centers fueled by the region's AI boom.**

Contract manufacturer Flex announced plans to spin off its high-growth cloud and power infrastructure business, causing shares to jump 13% on strong quarterly results and a bullish outlook for the new AI-focused entity.

Flex shares surge 13% on plan to spin off AI data center unit

**Key Takeaways** * Flex plans to spin off its power and cloud business into a new public company by the first quarter of 2027. * Shares rallied 13% in after-hours trading after the announcement and a strong fourth-quarter earnings beat. * The new company will focus on AI data center infrastructure, targeting 65% to 75% revenue growth in fiscal 2027.

Stanley Black & Decker is closing its last US manufacturing plant in New Britain, Connecticut, after 181 years, citing a market shift to double-sided tape measures.

Stanley Closes Last US Plant After 181 Years, Blames One-Sided Tapes

**Key Takeaways:** * Stanley Black & Decker is closing its last New Britain, Connecticut, factory after 181 years, cutting 300 jobs. * The company cites a market shift to double-sided tape measures, which it produces in a lower-cost Thailand plant. * The closure highlights the economic pressures of offshoring manufacturing, even for iconic American brands.

Vertiv (VRT) stock experienced a 28% price increase over the month prior to May 5, 2026, driven by the AI data center boom, acquisitions, and global growth.

Vertiv Stock Climbs 28% in a Month on AI Data Center Demand

**Vertiv's pivotal position in the AI infrastructure supply chain has fueled a massive stock rally, but its valuation now sits at a steep premium that has some analysts questioning its sustainability.**

Bitzero Holdings and OneQode signed a binding letter for a 15-year, 110MW lease at Bitzero's Norway data center, targeting the growing demand for high-performance AI workloads.

Bitzero inks $2.6 billion deal for 110MW Norway AI data center

**Key Takeaways** * Bitzero Holdings and OneQode signed a binding letter for a 15-year, 110MW data center lease in Norway valued at approximately $2.6 billion in total revenue. * The site, powered by hydroelectric energy, will support high-performance AI workloads, with initial commissioning targeted for the first half of 2027. * The agreement is conditional on due diligence, regulatory approvals, and final documentation, with no guarantee of completion.

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