From Copper Cables to Data Centres Powering AI

Wong Weng Yew, Founder and Managing Director, Open DC

27-Oct-25 10:00

From Copper Cables to Data Centres Powering AI

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Data centres are no longer just information warehouses; they are high-density hubs, or ‘airports for internet traffic’, and the demand for power is exploding from 6 kilowatts a rack to over 150.

Wong Weng Yew, a 20-year industry veteran and the founder of Open DC, joins us to share his journey. He explains his pivot from a traditional ISP to building a RM70 million (projected) data centre business, his unique focus on telco-neutral hubs, and how his new facilities are being built to handle the intense power demands of AI workloads.

We discuss:

His 20-year journey from an ISP to a data centre operator.
Open DC's unique role as an ‘airport for internet traffic’.
How AI is demanding a massive increase in "rack density" (power per rack).
Why enterprises are now outsourcing their high-power AI infrastructure.
The growth strategy that put them on track for RM70M in revenue by 2026.

This episode of Open For Business is powered by PETRONAS SmartPay, the simpler and better solution for all your business needs.

Produced by: Carol Wong

Presented by: Roshan Kanesan

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Categories: technology, markets, economy, entrepreneurs, SME, sponsored content

Tags: tech hardware, petronassmartpay, data centres, AI infrastructure, digital infrastructure, telecommunications,

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