NTT Global Data Centers plans to double capacity in AI boom

Published Thu, Mar 19, 2026 · 03:58 PM

[LONDON] NTT Global Data Centers (NTT GDC), the world’s third-largest data centre provider outside of China, is working to double its capacity to 4 gigawatts (GW) to meet rising global demand for critical digital infrastructure amid an artificial intelligence (AI) boom.

The unit of Japan’s NTT is working on 34 projects that will double its capacity in as soon as two years, according to the data centre business’ chief executive officer Doug Adams. Capacity will continue to increase from there, and will be “well over 5 GW” in five years, he said in an interview.

NTT GDC has seen increasing demand from companies moving more of their software and operations to the cloud, as well as businesses hunting for extra capacity to run AI programmes. The business’ revenue is expected to keep growing at more than 20 per cent a year, Adams said, declining to give a specific time period.

Net sales for the business grew about 30 per cent to US$2.4 billion in the fiscal year ending March 2025.

“AI demand is expected to get stronger by the minute, and we’re essentially an enabler,” the CEO said.

Data centres that specialise in AI capacity are seeing a boom in investment. Meta Platforms said on Monday (Mar 16) that it would spend as much as US$27 billion in the next five years with Dutch data centre company and “neocloud” provider Nebius Group.

NTT GDC said it does not break out revenue from companies that need cloud capacity for implementing AI, versus more classic digitalisation projects.

In Frankfurt, NTT GDC is buying up land and building new facilities, on top of its four existing data centres, adding close to 500 megawatts of fresh capacity there. It is also constructing new sites in locations such as Milan and Osaka, as well as studying opportunities in the Nordics and South America.

“We have more than US$3 billion from our own balance sheet to fund expansion,” Adams said. He added that the company could partner with other investors to finance the new developments, or put assets into a real estate investment trust (Reit) to raise new funds.

The company put some of its stabilised income-producing assets into NTT DC Reit and raised more than US$770 million by listing it in Singapore last July.

The firm has secured contracts for more than 70 per cent of the 34 ongoing projects, Adams said. NTT GDC, currently operating more than 150 data centres in over 20 countries, is the world’s biggest data centre provider by revenue after Equinix and Digital Realty. BLOOMBERG