How Structured Cabling Powers the AI Revolution

By Ehab Kanary, CommScope Infrastructure EMEA, Emerging Markets Sales VP

Artificial intelligence (AI) is making waves across various industries, from transforming the way movies are made to revolutionizing the financial sector and beyond. This explosion in AI technology has led to a rapid rise in data centres, which are crucial for handling the massive amounts of data AI generates. But behind the scenes of these advanced AI systems, there’s an often-overlooked player making everything run smoothly: structured cabling.

So, what exactly is structured cabling? Think of it as the backbone of your data centre’s connectivity. The term “structured” emphasizes its organized and efficient nature. It refers to a standardized approach for designing and installing cabling systems that meet international standards while being adaptable enough to support future generations of AI hardware.

In an AI data centre, structured cabling typically involves connecting IT equipment using high-performance optical fibre and Cat6A copper. This setup is vital for maintaining high-speed data transmission and flexibility as technology evolves.

Now, let’s clear up any confusion: structured cabling isn’t the same as direct attach cables (DAC) or active optical cables (AOCs). These are used for point-to-point connections but don’t offer the same flexibility. They need to be replaced whenever AI hardware port speeds change, which can be costly and less eco-friendly.

As AI continues to grow and integrate with technologies like 5G, IoT, and edge computing, data centres are becoming the “factory floor” of this digital revolution. This growth highlights the need for a strong, scalable cabling system to keep up with the increasing complexity of AI networks. And that’s where structured cabling comes into play—providing the reliability and adaptability needed to support these advancements.

High-Speed Data Transmission

The sheer volume of data that AI servers produce is so large that the high-bandwidth and high-speed capabilities provided by a solid optical fiber structured cabling system becomes essential. In the Middle East, where data center capacity is expanding rapidly to support the burgeoning digital infrastructure, the high-bandwidth and high-speed capabilities provided by a solid optical fiber structured cabling system are essential. For instance, cities like Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, and Dubai are investing heavily in their data center complexes to accommodate the high-speed requirements of AI operations.

It’s not just the fiber itself, but the connectivity that connects the patch panels to the ports on the switches and servers. The type of speeds used (400G / 800G / 1.6T) are predicted to run mainly over parallel optics (where multiple fibers are presented in a single connector), with connector options like the MPO-16 connector and MMC-16 connector. 

Due to these higher speeds, we are now seeing the introduction of angled physical connectors (APC) for multimode MPO connectors—in addition to those we’re used to seeing deployed on single mode MPO connectors.

Scalability, Flexibility, and Speed of Deployment

What do we know about AI? Network speeds are constantly changing, and it feels like it’s happening on a daily basis. 400G and 800G are a reality today, with 1.6T coming soon. Just a few years ago, who would have believed that it was possible?

Network speeds are constantly evolving, and the Middle East is no exception. With data center capacity in Saudi Arabia set to more than quadruple and significant investments from regional and international players, structured cabling offers the scalability and flexibility needed to adapt to these changes. This is crucial in a region where rapid deployment and adaptability are key to maintaining competitive advantage in the tech sector.

Structured cabling offers the type of scalability and flexibility needed to accommodate these speed changes and the future growth of AI networks. Being able to add new hardware to an AI network without overhauling the entire cabling brings significant advantages in saved cost and time.  And in an industry where timelines are being continually squeezed, structured cabling enables speed of deployment through efficient techniques that can help the underlying infrastructure to adapt easily to meet future needs.     

Minimized Downtime

AI networks are finely tuned for optimal performance. Training an AI model can take days, weeks or even months. A well-architected structured cabling network can bring the type of reliability that training requires. Understanding where your cables are running and the IT packets dependent on them can minimize AI network downtime and assist in troubleshooting.

CapEx/OpEx Efficiencies

Whilst the initial outlay for a structured cabling system may be greater than those for point-to-point or direct attach/active optical cable configurations, the structured cabling approach delivers economic advantages over the longer term by reducing the time required to perform network upgrades.

In the Middle East, where large-scale data center investments are booming, such as the $10 billion data center initiative announced by Saudi Arabia and the UAE’s focus on creating AI hubs (with a $100 billion AI fund), structured cabling can prove its worth by reducing the need for costly rip-and-replace operations. As the region positions itself as a leading player in the global data center market, efficient and cost-effective infrastructure is vital.

Ultimately, structured cabling can reduce the need for expensive rip-and-replace operations to meet the evolving challenges of the IT department.    

Structured cabling might often be an overlooked component when building an AI data center, but it is crucial to the overall success of these technological endeavors. In the Middle East, where data center development is booming and technological ambitions are high, structured cabling supports the high-speed, scalable, and reliable infrastructure necessary for AI operations. As the region continues to evolve as a digital powerhouse, the foundational elements of data center design will play a key role in shaping its future.