Highlights:
- AWS runs its platform across 35 cloud regions, which consist of clusters of data centers within the same geographic area.S
- In addition to its Direct Connect and Local Zone locations in Georgia, AWS operates local Amazon CloudFront servers.
Amazon Web Services Inc. (AWS) plans to invest USD 11 billion to expand its data center capacity in Georgia.
The cloud giant recently outlined its plan, marking the latest in a series of multibillion-dollar data center investments announced by AWS in recent quarters. This move reflects a broader data center construction surge, driven largely by the growing demand for training and running artificial intelligence models, with companies like Microsoft Corp., Google LLC, and others following a similar trend.
AWS’ investment in Georgia is the most recent in a series of billion-dollar data center expansion projects the company has unveiled over the past two years. In April, AWS announced an USD 11 billion plan to construct new data centers in Illinois. Additionally, it is allocating USD 35 billion to expand its cloud infrastructure in Virginia.
The Amazon.com Inc. subsidiary did not disclose the number of cloud facilities it intends to construct in Georgia. By comparison, when AWS announced a similar investment in Mississippi last year, it revealed plans to build two new data center complexes.
AWS platform operates through 35 cloud regions, which are clusters of data centers located within the same geographic area. These data centers, known as Availability Zones, are equipped with independent power, cooling, and network infrastructure. This design minimizes the risk of a localized technical issue at one site impacting other data centers within the same cloud region.
The company has not yet established a cloud region in Georgia. However, it does operate several smaller infrastructure clusters, mainly located in the Atlanta metropolitan area.
Last year, AWS introduced an AWS Local Zone in the city. A Local Zone is a smaller data center situated closer to users than the company’s primary facilities, helping to reduce network latency for customer applications.
AWS also runs multiple AWS Direct Connect hubs in Georgia. Direct Connect enables companies to route their network traffic directly to the cloud platform, bypassing the public internet. This setup enhances performance and provides additional cybersecurity advantages.
In addition to its Direct Connect hubs and Local Zone in Georgia, AWS operates local Amazon CloudFront servers. CloudFront, the company’s content delivery network, stores content like webpages closer to users to reduce latency and improve download speeds.
AWS states that its investment in Georgia will generate at least 550 new jobs. Furthermore, the company anticipates the initiative will create thousands of positions in the local construction industry and the upstream data center supply chain.
AWS stated that its new data centers in Georgia will “support AI and cloud technologies,” indicating that the facilities may include some of the newly developed AI-optimized data center components the company unveiled last month.
The company has created a multimodal cooling system to manage the heat produced by its AI servers. This system, according to the company, integrates both air and liquid cooling techniques and is compatible with Nvidia Corp. silicon as well as AWS’ in-house developed AI processors.
In its data center construction plans, the Amazon subsidiary is using more eco-friendly types of steel and concrete. The company anticipates that this shift will result in a 35% reduction in embodied carbon compared to the industry average.
Within its data centers, AWS is streamlining the equipment that delivers electricity to its IT systems. The company is relocating backup power sources closer to server racks and will decrease the number of fans used to expel hot air. These adjustments are expected to lower the number of potential failure points by 20%.
