Thu Sep 19 06:00:00 UTC 2024: ## UK Government Designates Datacenters as Critical National Infrastructure

**London, UK – September 13, 2024:** In a move welcomed by the tech industry, the UK government has officially designated datacenters as critical national infrastructure (CNI). This recognition highlights the vital role these facilities play in supporting the nation’s increasingly digital economy and ensures they will receive enhanced government support in the event of a cyberattack or other critical incident.

Previously, only select datacenters hosting sensitive data were classified as CNI on a case-by-case basis. This new blanket designation encompasses all datacenters, regardless of size or the type of data they store. While the government has yet to clarify specific criteria for CNI status, it is clear that all datacenters will now fall under the CNI umbrella.

The government’s decision is driven by the rapidly growing demand for datacenter capacity, fueled by the rise of cloud services and AI adoption. This demand, particularly concentrated in London, has strained power infrastructure and led to planning permission challenges. The CNI designation aims to address these issues by bolstering investor confidence and facilitating the construction of new facilities.

“This change reflects the fact that most other critical infrastructure sectors – communications, finance, health, energy, water and transport, for example – rely heavily on datacentres,” said Emma Fryer, director of public policy at colocation giant CyrusOne. “And those infrastructural interdependencies must be carefully managed because of the risk of cascade failure.”

The government’s move is a culmination of years of work to understand the importance of the datacenter industry and its contributions to the UK economy. It is expected to lead to increased regulatory oversight and could necessitate changes in how operators manage their sites. While the specifics of these changes are still unclear, the government’s commitment to supporting the datacenter sector signals a positive step towards ensuring the UK’s digital resilience.

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