China is creating a billion-dollar startup almost every three days
China's technology sector is producing billion-dollar startups at its fastest pace in nearly five years, with artificial intelligence and robotics dri...
Saud-based DataVolt has launched its first 10 MW data centre in Uzbekistan and plans a sweeping investment expansion of up to US$5 billion by 2030.
The initial 10 MW centre began construction in May 2024. This project is central to Uzbekistan’s ambition to convert its landlocked geography into a land-connected digital hub, reinforced by a planned trilateral fibre-optic corridor via Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan under the Caspian Sea.
Why it matters
Uzbekistan, historically insulated by geography, is actively reversing its landlocked constraints by building infrastructure that links it directly to global digital routes. The Caspian seabed cable—extending 380 km from Aktau (Kazakhstan) to Sumgait (Azerbaijan)—is set to carry high-capacity data and serve as a strategic east–west digital bridge. The initiative is part of the larger Digital Silk Way strategy to connect Asia and Europe via secure, alternate digital routes.
By diversifying its digital channels, Uzbekistan expects to reduce reliance on European transit routes that may be vulnerable or congested. The new infrastructure is also designed to support cloud, AI, and data services within sovereign territory, improving latency, resilience, and control over critical digital assets.
Who’s involved & how it’s structured
The project is a cooperation between Uzbekistan’s government (including the Ministry of Digital Technologies and the IT Park), DataVolt, and regional partners in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. Uzbekistan’s ministry and IT Park signed a strategic agreement with DataVolt for a 10 MW Tier-3+ green data centre. During a July 2025 meeting, DataVolt committed to integrating renewable energy usage and I-REC certification for green power as part of its infrastructure model.
The data centres will start with the 10 MW facility in Tashkent’s IT Park. (This centre is supported by $150 million in investment. In subsequent phases, smaller sites are planned in Bukhara (40 MW, expandable to 250 MW) and a large 250 MW facility in the “New Tashkent” area on 25 hectares.
On the Caspian cable front, the Kazakhstan–Azerbaijan underwater link is entering its active phase. The line is expected to be operational by end of 2026, with a projected capacity of 400 terabits per second.
This strategy could transform Uzbekistan into a digital transit and service hub—not just within Central Asia, but as part of a broader East–West digital axis. By bridging geography with fibre and data, Uzbekistan may steadily convert its landlocked status into one of land-connectedness—anchoring its place in the global digital order.
It has been a punishing week for large parts of China, and forecasters warn the worst may not be over. After Typhoon Maysak left a trail of destruction and at least 23 people dead, Super Typhoon Bavi is now threatening the country's eastern coast.
At least 12 people have been killed in forest fires in Almeria in southern Spain, Andalucía’s emergency agency has said, as firefighters continue efforts to put out the blaze.
The death toll from Venezuela's twin earthquakes has risen to 3,811, according to figures released by National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez on Wednesday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington has agreed to resume talks with Iran after Tehran requested further negotiations, but declared that last month's ceasefire between the two countries was "over".
The U.S. military said on Wednesday it launched fresh strikes on Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping, triggering Iranian attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain in the latest escalation to derail efforts to end the war.
This is the last of four articles in AnewZ's series examining how conservationists are working to protect and repair damage done to the Aral Sea which lies between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
Temperatures above 40°C are scorching parts of Central Asia, prompting the World Health Organization to warn that extreme heat is becoming an increasing public health threat across the region.
This is the third of four articles in AnewZ's series examining how conservationists are working to protect and repair damage done to the Aral Sea which lies between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington has agreed to resume talks with Iran after Tehran requested further negotiations, but declared that last month's ceasefire between the two countries was "over".
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has lowered Pakistan's economic growth forecast for FY2027 to 3.7%, down from its April 2026 projection of 4.5%.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment