Data Center and Fiber Builds Surge Across US, Europe, and Asia as Regional Players Expand Capacity

Regional internet infrastructure providers are pushing ahead with new builds across three continents this month. Ziply Fiber began construction in multiple Northwestern US communities, TrueIDC broke ground on a $180 million data center in northern Bangkok, Hive secured a 30MW lease in Boden, Sweden, and a developer withdrew a data center proposal in Katoomba, southeastern Australia. The moves highlight how mid-tier and regional players are racing to meet demand for connectivity and compute capacity outside traditional hyperscale hubs.

Ziply Fiber's summer construction program covers roughly 21,400 homes and businesses across Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. The largest single build is on Camano Island in Washington, expanding to 5,000 premises beyond an initial 100-address project that received $500,000 in American Rescue Plan grant funding in June 2024.

Ziply targets underserved Northwest communities

In Idaho, Ziply will reach over 500 homes and businesses in Bayview, 200 in Harrison, and 1,000 in Cascade. Washington builds include 7,300 premises in Clarkston, 4,000 in Lake Goodwin, 1,200 in Washougal, and smaller additions in Benton, Fairfield, and Granger. Oregon expansions are also underway. The fiber deployments target rural and suburban communities that major providers have often bypassed.

• Total Ziply build: more than 21,400 locations across three states.
• Camano Island expansion involves a new build that Ziply says goes well beyond the original grant-funded project.
• All builds are scheduled to begin this summer with no announced completion dates.

Nordic and Asian data center projects advance

Hive, a crypto, cloud, and data center firm, signed a letter of intent with an investment-grade Swedish technology company to lease 30MW of capacity in Boden, Sweden. Boden is a growing Nordic data center hub, drawing clients with its renewable energy supply and cool climate. Hive did not name the tenant but described it as a sovereign technology company.

In Thailand, TrueIDC has broken ground on its seventh data center in northern Bangkok. The facility costs $180 million, though TrueIDC has released few technical specifications or timeline details. The project adds to a wave of Southeast Asian data center construction driven by cloud adoption and digital economy growth.

In contrast, a developer withdrew a data center proposal in Katoomba, a town in southeastern Australia's Blue Mountains region, after local opposition. The withdrawal underscores a recurring friction point: communities often resist data center projects over concerns about noise, water use, and aesthetics, even as demand for capacity rises.

What comes next for regional infrastructure

The Ziply builds will take months to complete, tying into broader BEAD and federal broadband funding programs. Hive's lease in Sweden could close later this year, adding to the Nordic region's reputation as a low-carbon compute destination. TrueIDC's Bangkok facility will likely serve Thai enterprises and cloud providers expanding in Southeast Asia. The Katoomba withdrawal may push developers toward less contentious sites or more extensive community engagement. Together, these projects show that the data center and fiber buildout is not just a hyperscale game: regional players are moving quickly to capture their share of the connectivity and compute markets.