AI Infrastructure Is Coming – FiberLight CEO Bill Major on Where It Gets Built, Podcast

Power, water and local resistance may reshape the map, but Major says demand for data centers and high-capacity fiber is not slowing down. By Douglas Green, Publisher, Technology Reseller News AI is creating a new infrastructure race - but the winners may be determined as much by power, water and fiber as by demand for compute. FiberLight CEO Bill Major says growing community resistance is unlikely to stop the data center buildout, but it will increasingly determine where projects can realistically move forward. Major sees a familiar pattern from the early cell-tower era: people wanted mobile service, but often resisted the towers needed to provide it. The same tension is now emerging around AI. Bill Major "The data centers are coming," Major said. Communities may slow, reshape or redirect projects, but he does not expect demand to disappear. Power has become one of the biggest constraints. Developers are looking at markets with available generation, land and water, while some are considering behind-the-meter or self-generation options when grid capacity is tight. That could give regions with existing energy infrastructure a major advantage in the next phase of AI development. Fiber is just as critical. Major said hyperscalers, neocloud providers and AI companies are demanding far more capacity, pushing FiberLight toward larger duct banks, more conduit and substantial dedicated fiber builds. Increasingly, connectivity has to be ready before a tenant arrives. "Speed to market is critical right now as we continue this race for AI dominance," he said. Major has also changed his view on how long the boom will last. A year ago, he expected AI infrastructure spending to begin slowing in the second half of 2028. He no longer believes that. "This isn’t slowing down in 2028," Major said. "It’s a once-in-a-lifetime generational opportunity for businesses, for tradesmen, et cetera." His larger point is simple: AI infrastructure is not only a data center story. It is a power, fiber and regional-development story - and the markets that can combine energy with high-capacity connectivity will be best positioned for what comes next. Visit www.fiberlight.com