Capacity

The 2026 FIFA World Cup was described as the largest and most technologically complex tournament to date. Each match was expected to see fans inside a single stadium consume more than 50 terabytes of data, roughly the equivalent of streaming high-definition video continuously for more than three years, Capacity previously reported. Operators had to plan across 16 venues, in addition to fan festival sites, transport hubs, accreditation centres, hotel and surrounding city areas.

Databricks said on Thursday it has signed a term sheet for a strategic funding round that values the company at US$188 billion. The data analytics software firm said it expects to close the funding round later this summer. It is being led by existing investor Coatue and will include both new and existing investors, Databricks added. New capital earned will be used by Databricks to accelerate its AI strategy.

As AI interest continues to mount worldwide, data centres are operating at the forefront of the next era of digital transformation. Yet, as rapid innovation continues, these facilities are faced with negative public perception and local opposition. Often, the opinion is that data centres are huge guzzlers of energy, power and water. This viewpoint comes within a backdrop of surging energy prices, conflict in the Middle East and urgent calls for sustainability amid continued climate change.

President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, today cited Beijing as central to a new global AI order, promoting open-source technology and challenging individual influence over regulations. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, Xi encouraged countries to seize the “historic opportunity” of open-source AI and stated China would help developing nations build AI capabilities.

Pursuant to Article 105, paragraphs 6 and 7 of the Law on Electronic Communications (“Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia”, No. 35/23) and the Rulebook on the minimum requirements for the issuance of individual licenses for the use of radio frequency spectrum based on the conducted public bidding procedure in the radio frequency band 470-694 MHz (“Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia”, No. 36/26), The Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications and Postal Services hereby...

Both companies are expected to combine Microsoft’s digital and hyperscale infrastructure with 3M’s material science and manufacturing expertise to accelerate AI adoption. Microsoft’s Azure cloud and AI infrastructure is expected to become the first announced hyperscale cloud provider to deploy 3M’s Expanded Beam Optical (EBO) technology. 3M has said it will use Microsoft’s AI and digital platforms as part of its enterprise transformation strategy across all key business functions.

The world’s largest contract chipmaker said it will invest a further $100 billion in Arizona, adding four or more new fabs dedicated to 2-nanometre-and-below logic processes and advanced packaging. The commitment takes TSMC’s total US investment to $265 billion, building on a prior $100 billion pledge made in March 2025 that had already brought its US total to $165 billion.

Macquarie Data Centres is expected to develop an engineering and technology campus in Macquarie Park, Sydney’s North Zone, which will be co-located within a ~200MW data centre. The company, which is part of Macquarie Technology Group, has purchased a 34,200 square metre development site, where it intends to construct an engineering and technology campus. Completion of the purchase is subject to obtaining planning and other approvals, which are expected in the coming weeks.

As the UK seeks to accelerate data centre development, the industry is having to confront negative public perception and lessening support for new projects. Despite such pushback, some within the data centre industry view these facilities as essential critical infrastructure like roads, power stations and water treatment plants. For Adam Eaton, CEO of VIRTUS Data Centres, addressing these opinions is vitally important to improve education of the industry.

The Hangzhou-based company is seeking to raise as much as 50 billion yuan in the new round, sources told Reuters, just weeks after closing its first-ever external fundraising of roughly $7.4 billion in June at a post-money valuation of around 450 billion yuan. DeepSeek has also begun early preparations for a listing on Shanghai’s Nasdaq-style STAR Market, with an internal target of filing this year, though the timeline and terms remain subject to change.