Asia emerges as global hub for telco‑powered AI infrastructure

Operators retrofit existing fibre and data‑centre assets to avoid vendor lock‑in and ensure region‑specific AI sovereignty.
APAC, telcos, AI factories, sovereign infrastructure, NVIDIA GPUs, data centres, fibre networks, hyperscalers, AWS, Azure, data sovereignty, vendor lock‑in, hybrid cloud, Singtel RE:AI, Indosat, FPT, YTL, Tata Communications, SoftBank, KDDI, KT, Kazakhtelecom

Asia‑Pacific telecom operators are rapidly building sovereign AI factories and high‑performance data centres optimised for AI workloads by retrofitting existing facilities with NVIDIA GPUs and leveraging their fibre networks and system‑management skillsets.

Major Southeast‑Asian telcos, including Singtel (RE: AI), Indonesia’s Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, Vietnam’s FPT, Malaysia’s YTL, and India’s Tata Communications, are pioneering cloud‑based AI platforms tailored to local enterprise needs. These investments often mirror national AI strategies focused on data sovereignty and regional self‑sufficiency.

Operators are pursuing a hybrid strategy, combining partnerships with hyperscalers like AWS and Azure for scale, while building local infrastructure to avoid vendor lock‑in, cost volatility, and compliance risks. Examples include SoftBank and KDDI in Japan, KT and Viettel in Southeast Asia, and Kazakhtelecom in Central Asia.

This telco‑led, on‑premises AI infrastructure boom marks a significant shift in global AI deployment, transforming operators from mere connectivity providers into essential sovereign AI enablers.

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