Brittany Miller

The data centre industry is experiencing its most dramatic transformation in decades, driven by AI workloads that demand unprecedented power densities and cooling capabilities. 

Traditional enterprise facilities that once consumed 10-15 kilowatts per rack are being replaced by AI-optimised installations requiring 100 kilowatts or more, forcing changes in everything from electrical infrastructure to construction methods.

At the centre of this transformation is Brittany Miller, SVP of Global Infrastructure Development at NTT Global Data Centres (GDC), who has overseen a remarkable scaling of operations during her five-year tenure.

“NTT GDC operates within NTT DATA’s broader infrastructure portfolio, which includes cloud services, networks and managed IT solutions alongside data centre facilities. “NTT DATA offers not only data centres but cloud, networks, cloud services and managed IT under one umbrella that helps us provide solutions for our clients end-to-end across the globe,” Brittany explains.

NTT delivers gigawatt expansion across seven strategic markets

The scale of NTT GDC’s current expansion is one example of how technology companies today approach infrastructure investment. The company is adding nearly one gigawatt of capacity across seven strategic markets, representing a deliberate choice to build substantial capacity in proven markets.

The company’s North American expansion is largely focused on two major developments. The Hillsboro, Oregon facility will reach 350 megawatts when construction completes, while the Mesa campus in Phoenix will reach combined capacity exceeding 300 megawatts. International expansion, meanwhile, has focused on Milan, Paris, India, and Tochigi in Japan.

The company’s international expansion strategy balances global standardisation with local market adaptation. Operating across more than 20 countries, NTT GDC provides scale advantages while maintaining regional expertise required to navigate diverse regulatory environments.

“We have the global scale that very limited players have, but we also have that local knowledge,” says Brittany. “NTT as a whole operates in over 20 countries. But each data centre campus is designed with the local market’s regulations and our client expectations in mind. We have a standard design and a standard product so that the look and feel of the data centre is the same across the world. But we’re able to tailor it for each market. 

“Because we have such a large footprint, we’re able to help our customers along that journey,” she continues, “whether they’re used to building their own and want the same look and feel across the globe.”

AI driving an infrastructure revolution

It’s no secret: AI has created the most significant technical disruption the data centre industry has experienced. 

Traditional enterprise applications typically require 5-10 kilowatts per server rack, power levels that conventional air cooling systems can manage effectively. AI training and inference workloads demand power densities that have forced fundamental reconsideration of cooling systems, electrical infrastructure, and facility design.

“That changed everything from how we design our data centres to the power that supports our data centres to the locations we look at,” Brittany explains. “You’ve seen our densities grow from 10-15 kilowatts to 60 kilowatts to 100 kilowatts, and projected to go higher as we scale.”

“It’s forced some things to happen in the industry – we can’t be siloed,” she adds. 

“It’s a supply chain in itself. That’s forced a lot of collaboration and some out-of-the-box thinking. Using AI in our industry for our own benefit has happened. It’s really changed dramatically in the last five years,” Brittany observes.

The timeline of change has compressed dramatically, with fundamental infrastructure modifications occurring within months rather than years. 

“Things like automation, modularity, power and sustainability are no longer optional. How do you solve this complex puzzle with those types of things? That’s where the industry is now,” she notes.

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