PTC’26: Writing the next chapter of digital infrastructure, responsibly

By Ægir Rafn Magnússon Sales Director Colocation

Last month, my colleague Wayne Allen and I set off for Honolulu to attend The Pacific Telecommunications Council’s flagship annual conference: PTC’26. The event marked an all-time high as the largest in its 48-year history, reflecting an industry entering a new phase of growth, driven by AI, connectivity and an urgent need to rethink how digital infrastructure is built.

Across panels and conversations, a recurring question emerged: how do we scale digital infrastructure quickly, responsibly and in a way that earns long-term trust? 

While power availability remains a central challenge, discussions at PTC’26 highlighted how the complexity facing operators has broadened. Today, delivering infrastructure at pace means simultaneously navigating  power access, financing constraints, supply chain volatility, workforce availability and skills gap – not to mention, community sentiment and support. Securing alignment with local communities is no longer a “nice to have”; it is fundamental to long-term viability. 

From an atNorth perspective, the importance of designing data centres as a central part of the wider society serves as a welcome message for our industry. Alongside this, access to renewable power, responsible operations, and sustainable infrastructure, that delivers local economic and social value, are becoming decisive differentiators as scrutiny intensifies across the sector.

AI demand was a dominant theme throughout the event, but the conversation has clearly evolved. Rather than focusing solely on compute density, speakers emphasised the need for an end-to-end infrastructure stack encompassing power systems, cooling, connectivity and operational resilience. Our modular, scalable approach across atNorth sites aligns to this ethos, allowing infrastructure to adapt as AI workloads and customer requirements evolve. 

Another clear shift was the continued convergence of connectivity and data centres. Hyperscale campuses are increasingly planned alongside subsea and terrestrial fibre routes, underlining the value of integrated infrastructure ecosystems. This trend reinforces the importance of location, power strategy and connectivity being key factors for consideration from day one. 

Perhaps the strongest message from PTC’26 was the renewed focus on execution. In a market moving at unprecedented speed, ambition alone is not enough. Success depends on repeatable design, stable and scalable operations, and dependable delivery – all of which enable growth without sacrificing resilience or sustainability. 

For atNorth, PTC’26 served as a timely reminder that the next chapter of digital infrastructure growth will be shaped not just by who can build fastest, but by who can build responsibly, operate reliably, and partner effectively with customers and communities alike.