Atlantic Convergence and the Next Generation of Digital Infrastructure

dotmagazine: AI is shifting the demands placed on digital infrastructure. What new requirements are you seeing for interconnection, and how is DE‑CIX adapting its services (e.g., AI‑IX) to meet them?

Ivo Ivanov: AI is transforming every industry and bringing unprecedented demands for speed, proximity, and performance. To unlock the full value of AI, businesses need to connect directly into AI ecosystems, close to data, models, and compute. 

As AI adoption accelerates, we are seeing growing demand for low-latency connectivity, secure data exchange, scalability, and greater control over data flows.

AI workloads are fundamentally different because they depend on the dynamic and efficient exchange of data between clouds, data centers, networks, and applications. In particular AI inference and real-time AI services, not to mention agentic AI, require ultra-low latency, as well as predictable performance and resilient connectivity. At the same time, organizations increasingly need to meet requirements related to security, compliance, and digital sovereignty.

This is why we introduced AI-IX, our AI Internet Exchange. AI-IX enables enterprises and organizations to control routes for AI traffic and ensure ultra-low latency interconnection optimized for AI workloads. It enables enterprises to connect directly to AI platforms, cloud services, and data sources while maintaining control over their data flows. As AI infrastructure continues to evolve, interconnection will play an increasingly important role in supporting the exchange of data across distributed AI compute environments, what I like to call GPU as a Service communities. This will allow companies to have even greater control over their chosen infrastructure, further reduce the risk of vendor lock-in, and remain agile.

Atlantic Convergence positions the Atlantic as a strategic corridor for global digital growth. Which subsea, terrestrial and space‑enabled routes will be most transformative, and how will they change traffic flows between Europe, Africa and the Americas?

Ivo: The most transformative development is the increasing convergence of subsea, terrestrial, and space-enabled connectivity across the Atlantic region. Together, these infrastructures are creating a more resilient and interconnected digital ecosystem linking Europe, Africa, North America, and South America.

Subsea cable systems remain the foundation of international connectivity. As a gateway between Europe, Africa, and the Americas, Portugal is well positioned to play an important role in shaping these future digital corridors. Terrestrial fiber networks continue to extend connectivity across regions and borders and ensuring access to key population centers. At the same time, Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite networks are emerging as an important additional layer, helping to connect remote regions, provide alternatives and fast deployment, and strengthen network resilience.

At DE-CIX, we are exploring this most recent addition to the network transmission alternatives through our Space-IX initiative, which envisions intelligent interconnection between satellite networks and terrestrial infrastructure. We believe that space-enabled connectivity will increasingly complement existing networks and support the growing demands of cloud services, AI infrastructure, and digital transformation across the Atlantic region.

The agenda raises the question of integrating strategies across digital, energy, real‑estate and water sectors to support sustainable AI infrastructure. How are energy availability and sustainability influencing decisions about where to place interconnection hubs and AI pods?

Ivo: The rapid growth of AI is driving demand for digital infrastructure at an unprecedented scale. As a result, building infrastructure for an AI-enabled future is no longer only about connectivity. Access to reliable energy, efficient cooling, sustainability, and long-term scalability are becoming increasingly important factors in infrastructure planning.

This is why we are seeing closer alignment between the digital, energy, real-estate, and water sectors. The most attractive locations are increasingly those that can combine connectivity, compute capacity, and sustainable infrastructure in one ecosystem. Portugal is a good example of this evolution. As a strategic digital gateway, the country is strengthening its position through investments in connectivity and digital infrastructure, as well as renewable power. Projects such as the massive data center being constructed in the coastal city of Sines demonstrate how connectivity, data center infrastructure, energy availability, and sustainability can come together to support future digital growth.

Ultimately, the challenge is not only to build more infrastructure, but to build infrastructure that is sustainable, secure, and resilient enough to power an AI-enabled future.

In your 2025 interview you stated that latency has become ‘the new currency’ in digital infrastructure. How does this concept influence interconnection strategies in an AI‑driven economy, and what can providers do to minimize latency across transatlantic routes?

Ivo: A few years ago, I described latency as the new currency of digital infrastructure. Today, with the rise of AI, that statement is more relevant than ever. AI workloads depend on fast and efficient access to data, cloud services, and compute resources, making low-latency interconnection a key requirement for inference and real-time AI applications.

To minimize latency, providers need to reduce distance, network hops, and congestion while improving direct interconnection between digital ecosystems. If we are looking at Transatlantic routes, it is also necessary to consider where you want to land. Not all data across the Atlantic needs to travel all the way up to the north to enter Europe. 

Here, the ongoing build out of subsea cable routes landing on the Iberian Peninsula offers optimized pathways from North and South America and Africa. As AI adoption accelerates, interconnection will continue to play a critical role in delivering the performance, resilience, and scalability required for an AI-enabled future.

Digital sovereignty and data localization are recurring themes. How can regions pursue sovereignty while ensuring interoperability and open exchange across the Atlantic?

Ivo: Digital sovereignty and interoperability should go hand in hand. As organizations place greater emphasis on data control, security, and compliance, they also need the ability to exchange data efficiently across digital ecosystems.

The objective is not to limit connectivity, but to give organizations greater control over where data is processed and how it moves between clouds, networks, and digital infrastructure. To give organizations greater visibility into where their data is at any one time. And to ensure that organizations have choice and flexibility, reducing dependencies. This is particularly important in an AI-driven environment, where data, services, and compute resources are increasingly distributed.

International collaboration remains essential. By bringing together stakeholders from Europe, Africa, and the Americas, Atlantic Convergence supports dialogue on how to build digital infrastructure that is secure, resilient, and interoperable while supporting growing requirements for digital sovereignty. Ultimately, trust, openness, and interconnection will remain essential foundations of the digital economy.

Looking at the global South, you’ve noted that the lack of localized infrastructure is a barrier. How can the Atlantic Convergence community accelerate infrastructure deployment in Africa and South America, and what role will new digital corridors play?

Ivo: Digital infrastructure is a key enabler of economic growth and digital transformation. Building resilient and secure digital infrastructure across the Atlantic region requires investment, collaboration, and the development of strong digital ecosystems.

New digital corridors connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas create opportunities to bring connectivity, cloud services, and digital infrastructure closer to users and enterprises. As these corridors develop, they can support innovation, investment, and greater participation in the digital economy across the Atlantic region.

By bringing together infrastructure operators, enterprises, policymakers, investors, and technology leaders, Atlantic Convergence provides a platform for collaboration and knowledge exchange. Ultimately, building sustainable, secure, and resilient digital infrastructure is a shared effort that requires cooperation across regions and industries.

If we meet at Atlantic Convergence 2030, what would convince you that the Atlantic region has successfully built the digital infrastructure needed for an AI‑enabled future?

Ivo: By 2030, I would hope to see an Atlantic region that is more interconnected, resilient, and sustainable than it is today. Success will not be defined by infrastructure alone, but by how effectively that infrastructure supports innovation, economic growth, and digital transformation across Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

I would also hope to see that we have successfully built the secure digital infrastructure needed to support an AI-enabled future. This means bringing together connectivity, cloud, data centers, energy, and emerging technologies in a way that enables both innovation and long-term resilience. But that is not to suggest that out job will be finished. Especially in the field of Ai, which is still only in its infancy, we will see continuing demand for faster and more seamless data exchange. Digital infrastructure will need to continue evolving, long past 2030.

Most importantly, I would hope that collaboration across the Atlantic region continues to grow. If by 2030 we have strengthened digital ecosystems and built sustainable, secure, and resilient infrastructure that benefits the entire region, I would consider that a great success.

Ivo Ivanov has been Chief Executive Officer at DE-CIX and Chair of the Board of the DE-CIX Group AG since 2022. Prior to this, Ivanov was Chief Operating Officer of DE-CIX and Chief Executive Officer of DE-CIX International, responsible for the global business activities of the leading Internet Exchange operator in the world. He has more than 20 years of experience in the regulatory, legal and commercial Internet environment. Ranked as one of the top 100 most influential professionals of the Telecom industry (Capacity Magazine’s Power 100 listing, 2021-2026), Ivo is regularly invited to share his vision and thought leadership in various industry-leading conferences around the globe.