How HKT will Support Hong Kong's Data Centre Buildout

Hong Kong Telecommunications (HKT) is planning to roll out an AI Data Centre Inter-connect (DCI) Superhighway service designed to underpin Hong Kong's growing AI infrastructure.

The operator describes it as a market-first for the territory.

Funding the regional infrastructure push

Hong Kong’s government is rushing to channel capital into the AI ecosystem, aiming to catch up with global counterparts as Chinese enterprises scale up the necessary infrastructure in the region.

Reports from the South China Morning Post indicate that the administration has committed billions to state-of-the-art infrastructure, including HK$2.84bn (US$364m) for a semiconductor facility.

Scaling transmission capacity to 3.2Tbps

AI infrastructure providers need to scale training and inference processes efficiently and HKT states that its new ultra-low latency 3.2Tbps DCI platform will enable them to do so.

Steve Ng, Managing Director of Commercial Group at HKT, says: "At HKT, we see connectivity as the critical foundation of Hong Kong's AI future. This next-generation fibre network delivers ultra-low latency, high-speed and secure data exchange to unlock the full potential of AI development across the city.” 

Steve adds that the project establishes crucial network architecture for the Northern Metropolis, bridging the Hetao area with existing data centres. 

As an evolution of HKT's previous 800Gbps network, the upgraded 3.2Tbps superhighway integrates advanced transport standards including Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA), RDMA Over Converged Ethernet, Multipath Reliable Connection and Ultra-Ethernet Transport. 

The carrier states that this network environment gives technology firms and institutions seamless, high-speed access to distributed computing pools while meeting the needs of next-generation AI workloads.

Fibre innovation and data centre growth

The South China Morning Post reported in June that the government had allocated 11 hectares of land at Sandy Ridge to a Chinese computing firm for a major data centre. The project aims to boost Hong Kong's collective processing capacity 36 times by 2032.

To support data centres like this, HKT plans to run its DCI on advanced hollow core fibre along a route between Lok Ma Chau Loop and Tseung Kwan O. This cable technology promises up to 30% lower latency than standard fibre optics.

The combination of massive bandwidth and minimal latency allows thousands of distributed GPUs to work together. HKT explains that this reduces calculation times and costs by preventing data transmission bottlenecks while lowering power-per-bit metrics to improve energy efficiency.

Ricky Kwong, Head of Fixed Network Engineering, HKT and CEO, Fiber Link Global, says: “HKT is firmly committed to supporting innovation in Hong Kong, with the ambition of positioning our city as one of the most advanced I&T hubs in the world.

“To realise this vision, we are upgrading the AI Superhighway across Hong Kong's major data centre clusters.” 

Geopolitics and network security

The US and China continue to dominate the global AI landscape. Boston Consulting Group characterises the US approach as prioritising massive capital deployment to scale data centre capacity and support the growing AI sector.

As a special administrative region of China operating under the "one country, two systems" framework established during the 1997 sovereignty transfer from the UK, Hong Kong occupies a unique position. 

Local telecom operators are supporting a rapid buildout of data centres, frequently backed by mainland companies. According to an article published by the  British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong in June, the city operates approximately 581MW of active data centre capacity, with more than 400MW in the pipeline.

However, geopolitical friction persists; last year, US watchdogs blocked HKT from US telecommunications networks, pointing to its ties to an entity controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.