Column: Developing a global internet hub boosted by new subsea cables

Virginia Beach reached a monumental milestone on Feb. 10 with the announcement that construction is underway to accommodate up to four new subsea cables, advancing the plan of the Hampton Roads-to-Richmond area megaregion to become a global internet hub.

This announcement is well timed as it shines a spotlight on what’s been missing in a General Assembly debate that’s been largely focused on the largest data centers and energy resources required to power them.

It’s time to broaden the conversation from data centers to digital infrastructure ecosystems. Data centers are just one component of the much larger digital infrastructure ecosystems that include robust intra- and intercity terrestrial networks, internet exchanges, regional network rings, data centers of various types and sizes, and, for some ecosystems, subsea cables.

Digital ecosystems enable seamless connectivity, high-speed data transfer and reliable interconnections — powering smart cities, homes and industries today while unlocking AI-driven innovations that will shape tomorrow.

In growing digital infrastructure ecosystems, communities attract business investment and talent, driving economic growth. This is why dozens of cities have doubled down on digital infrastructure investment to become global interconnection points.

Our megaregion has all the digital components to become the world’s next global internet hub. RVA757 Connects, a nonprofit coalition of business, higher education and organizational leaders from Hampton Roads and the Richmond area, is committed to building a shared digital infrastructure ecosystem that will transform the megaregion that we call the“I-64 Innovation Corridor.” Our goals are to make our megaregion the world’s next global internet hub and the first equitable digital society.

We are doing this by working together as neighboring regions to leverage and package our complementary digital assets. This includes our growing number of subsea cable landings in Virginia Beach. Once the project by Globalinx is completed, it will double Virginia Beach’s capacity, providing two diverse subsea landing sites — Camp Pendleton and Sandbridge — that connect to the world.

Also included are the dramatic growth of data centers of all sizes in the Richmond area; the Hampton Roads fiber optic network ring that is under construction, connecting the South Hampton Roads cities; the Richmond area’s DE-CIX Internet Exchange in Henrico; the consistent and reliable power coming from Dominion Energy; and the strides made in IT/tech workforce development and training by workforce agencies and higher education.

Put them all together and you have a world-class interconnection hub called a global internet hub.

We are building the internet of tomorrow. At the Atlantic Convergence conference in Portugal in October, global experts stressed that today’s internet infrastructure isn’t yet equipped to unlock the full economic potential of AI. They pointed to our collaborative model as the path forward.

As AI shifts from “learning and teaching” to “running everything,” regional data centers and networks will be critical for processing vast amounts of real-time information from connected devices. Rather than relying on distant servers, robust local digital infrastructure will enable instant analysis and response.

Experts also predicted that no one city or locality will have all the needed digital infrastructure assets. The internet will evolve into a hub-and-spoke system, where nearby regions work together deploying complementary digital resources. This is precisely what we are already doing here n the I-64 Innovation Corridor.

          In summary, we are becoming a global model as we think and act beyond data centers. Data centers are just one piece of a much larger digital infrastructure ecosystem. It’s the shared digital ecosystem of Hampton Roads and the Richmond area that will enable us together to unlock the value of AI and drive our global competitiveness as we become a global internet hub.

Kudos to Virginia Beach for driving this vision by accommodating four more subsea cables — thinking holistically, collaborating strategically, and investing wisely.

Thomas R. Frantz of Virginia Beach and Theodore L. Chandler Jr. of Goochland County are co-chairmen of the RVA757 Connects Board of Directors. John W. Martin of Henrico County is the organization’s president and CEO. Learn more at RVA757Connects.com.

Originally Published: February 15, 2025 at 6:05 PM EST