Alberta's SuperNet
A data center asset from another time
What makes a state or province attractive for data center development…?
It comes down to “endowments”…
The gifts inherited from a region’s history and natural attributes. These attributes shape the viability and appeal of a location for data center investment.
The key endowments are fairly intuitive:
Power availability, cost and reliability
Connectivity and fibre infrastructure
Business climate and incentives
Risk factors (natural disasters, climate stability, water availability)
Proximity to End Users and Compliance
A good example of an “endowment” from Alberta endowment is the province’s SuperNet, a 13,000 km fiber-optic and wireless network connecting 429 communities (see the map below).
Announced in 2001 and operational by 2005, the SuperNet was built as a "middle-mile" network—delivering backbone infrastructure without providing direct last-mile connections to homes and businesses.
While originally designed to serve government offices, schools, and hospitals, it has since become a critical asset that enhances Alberta’s attractiveness for data center development.
Alberta is now seeing a wave of data center investments, with 10.9 GW of projects proposed in a system with 12.4 GW peak load. Examples include:
What are your favorite “endowment” stories in emerging data center hotspots? How competitive do you see Alberta as a development location?