NETWORKING
Redrawing the Map Proximity to submarine cable landings already has a noticeable impact on where data centres are built . “ Quite a large number of new data centres have been established very close to where larger sea cables are landing ,” explains Fridström . “ Marseille is a perfect example of a city that really has the vast majority of its data centres due to the many sea cables landing there .” He adds that the western coast of Denmark is undergoing a similar process , thanks to recently established submarine cable landings that lead to the US , UK and Norway .
Combined with the increasing recognition that the worldwide growth of cloud computing needs to find ways to mitigate its carbon impact , cables like IRIS - which lead from digital hubs in central and western Europe to isolated but highly sustainable markets like Iceland - are set to redefine site selection on a global scale , as HPC becomes an increasingly mission critical resource for a growing number of organisations .
Cantrell provides an example . “ The UK ’ s Earlham Institute ( EI ) is another example of how broadened connectivity is furthering scientific progress and sustainability at the same time ,” he says , explaining that the EI is one of the world ’ s leading institutions for life science research , which involves a great deal of DNA sequencing . “ High-throughput DNA
68 June 2021