By Andrew Mills
DOHA (Reuters) – Nvidia has signed a deal to deploy its synthetic intelligence expertise at knowledge centres owned by Qatari telecoms group Ooredoo in 5 Center Jap international locations, Ooredoo’s CEO instructed Reuters.
The settlement marks Nvidia’s first large-scale launch in a area to which Washington has curbed the export of subtle U.S. chips to cease Chinese language corporations from utilizing Center Jap international locations as a again door to entry the latest AI expertise.
It’s going to make Ooredoo the primary firm within the area in a position to give shoppers of its knowledge facilities in Qatar, Algeria, Tunisia, Oman, Kuwait and the Maldives direct entry to Nvidia’s AI and graphics processing expertise, Ooredoo mentioned in an announcement.
Offering the expertise will enable Ooredoo to higher assist its clients deploy generative AI functions, Nvidia’s senior vp of telecom Ronnie Vasishta mentioned.
“Our b2b shoppers, due to this settlement, can have entry to companies that most likely their rivals (will not) for one more 18 to 24 months,” Ooredoo’s CEO Aziz Aluthman Fakhroo instructed Reuters in an interview.
The businesses didn’t disclose the worth of the deal, which was signed on the sidelines of the TM Discussion board in Copenhagen on June 19.
Ooredoo additionally wouldn’t disclose precisely what sort of Nvidia expertise it will likely be putting in in its knowledge centres, saying that it depends upon availability and buyer demand.
Washington permits the export of some Nvidia expertise to the Center East, however curbs exports of the corporate’s most subtle chips.
Ooredoo is investing $1 billion to spice up its regional knowledge centre capability by 20-25 extra megawatts on prime of the 40 megawatts it at the moment has, and plans to nearly triple that by the tip of the last decade, Fakhroo mentioned.
The corporate has carved out its knowledge facilities right into a separate firm following an identical transfer final yr to create the Center East’s largest tower firm in a cope with Kuwait’s Zain and Dubai’s TASC Towers Holding.
Ooredoo additionally has plans to carve out its undersea cables and fiber community right into a separate entity, Fakhroo mentioned.
(Reporting by Andrew Mills; Modifying by Jan Harvey)
