THE DATA CENTRE INTERVIEW
When a cluster of subsea cables in the Red Sea were damaged in early 2024, the disruption to internet traffic across Asia, Europe and Africa was swift and profound.
For the enterprises that depend on seamless cross-border connectivity, the incident was a reminder that the physical underpinnings of the global network remain vulnerable to forces far beyond the control of any single operator.
It also underscored a question that has moved from the fringes of infrastructure strategy to the centre of boardroom conversations: how do you build a network that holds when the world around it shifts?
Sharat Sinha, CEO of Airtel Business, the enterprise and wholesale arm of India’ s Bharti Airtel, has a clear view on what that demands.
Speaking to Data Centre Magazine, he sets out how the company is responding to a landscape defined not just by accelerating data growth, but by geopolitical instability, rising operational costs and the emergence of AI as a driver of infrastructure investment.
The network demands of a digital-first era The challenges confronting telecom operators today are as structural as they are technological.
Sharat explains how the rollout of 5G and the proliferation of IoT devices are placing pressure on network
capacity at a rate that demands not just investment, but a rethinking of how infrastructure is planned and managed.
At the same time, operators are navigating rising energy costs and the complexity of maintaining profitability while funding the next generation of connectivity, he notes.
Sharat frames the moment in terms that go beyond the familiar discourse around speed and bandwidth.
“ The need today is not just for connectivity, but for an intelligent and secure network that supports mission-critical applications across geographies,” he says.
22 April 2026