Is the curtain closing on Singapore as a global data hub?
Has Singapore lost the data centre race?
As Singapore celebrates its 59th birthday, a question I've been asked: Have we lost the data centre race?
And is the curtain closing on Singapore as a global data hub?
I've been thinking about this a lot.
A brief history of data centres
Over the last decade, I've witnessed the meteorite rise of Singapore's then-nascent data centre industry, a 3-year intermission, reboot, and most recently, an attempt to rejuvenate it.
Singapore:
- Is a top data centre hub in the region.
- Has incredible connectivity with 26 subsea cables*.
- All major cloud players are here, both east and west.
But this looks set to change.
*Mid-June 2023
Déjà vu
Singapore was supposed to fail. The critical mass and key elements needed for a well-functioning and prosperous nation weren't there.
It was limited in so many areas:
- Not enough water.
- No natural resources.
- Not enough land to feed itself.
Somehow Singapore not only survived but thrived.
And here comes the ultimate irony. Fast-forward 50 years, and the reality of its constraints is biting again. In the era of sustainability, Singapore cannot afford unrestrained power use by data centres.
Just as power-hungry AI has just kicked off a trillion-dollar gold rush, and neighbours like Johor are building massive data centres set to surpass Singapore in just 2 years.
A green pivot
It's an intractable challenge indeed. What can Singapore do?
The response comes in the form of the Green Data Centre Roadmap unveiled on 30 May. In it, IMDA says it will provide at least 300MW of data centre capacity.
Beyond ensuring Singapore doesn't lose out on strategic opportunities, the roadmap also seeks to foster the creation of a new sustainability-centric data centre ecosystem.
Redefining what's possible
Will it work? And will it be enough?
I don't know. But Singapore has a track record of punching above its weight, leveraging our unique strengths and skilful execution to overcome sometimes-crippling odds.
Insurmountable challenges aren't new to the little red dot, though success here will necessitate ruthless pragmaticism, outmanoeuvring the competition, and moving 3 steps ahead.
For now, a new phase has just begun. May Singapore once again defy the odds and redraw the boundaries of what's possible with data centres.
Majulah Singapura!
PS: Check out the article I wrote for GovInsider summing up my thoughts here.
