3 ms·
For fiber, the main costs were not the fiber itself, but acquiring the rights to lay the fiber and the labor to do so. The equipment at either end has a lifespa
by kibwen 2mo ago
For fiber, the main costs were not the fiber itself, but acquiring the rights to lay the fiber and the labor to do so. The equipment at either end has a lifespan of somewhat less that 50 years, but that's a minor cost.
Conversely, for the data centers we're talking about, the cost of the things that need replacing every five years is one of the primary costs.
- FrustratedMonky 2mo agoI was responding to you mentioning fiber. But of course, the "internet" does run on servers, which also have a replacement rate. There were data centers before AI, and they had a lifespan well below 30 years. I'm not arguing that the current build out isn't crazy, just that AI isn't going away. Just like everyone thought the internet was a fad, but then it continued to grow (remember web 2.0). AI will morph into something useful and will be sticking around, even if we can't envision what it will look like.