IT leaders are beginning to realize that they need more than just compute power to harness AI’s massive potential. According to IDC’s FutureScape: Worldwide Enterprise Connectivity 2025 Predictions “30% of enterprises are seeing bandwidth demands increase by more than 50% per year, as data generation traffic between on-premises and cloud-based applications continue to grow.”¹

AI is accelerating the challenging demand of increased bandwidth, and it requires a robust, high-capacity network infrastructure that can move massive volumes of data quickly, securely, and reliably.

Digital Realty and Lumen’s recently announced AI WAN is geared to deliver AI-ready connectivity designed to meet the evolving needs of enterprise and AI workloads.

What is AI WAN? It's high-capacity, AI-ready connectivity services available via the newly launched Lumen Wavelength Solutions RapidRoutes^(SM) now offered on our data center platform, PlatformDIGITAL®. This enables enterprise connectivity of up to 400G.

Alongside the high-capacity challenges our customers are facing, complex workflows and network configurations add to the mix of AI-ready IT requirements.

To answer this call, our partnership with Lumen empowers organizations to:

Accelerate AI and GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS) deployments by providing the low-latency, high-throughput infrastructure needed for training and inference workloads.
Support data repatriation strategies, allowing enterprises to bring workloads back from public cloud environments to more cost-effective or secure private infrastructure.
Enable hybrid and multi-cloud architectures, giving businesses the flexibility to connect seamlessly across cloud providers, edge locations, and on-premises environments.

Unlocking a broader enterprise opportunity: Where high-capacity data transfer is making an impact

The steadfast evolution of AI, cloud computing, and real-time data processing are straining traditional network architectures. Industries like financial services, gaming, and media and entertainment that require high-capacity bandwidth to support demanding applications must turn to partners that understand their workload needs.

In financial services, high-density data workflows like algorithmic trading, high-frequency trading, risk management, and pricing derivatives need to move large amounts of data securely.
In media and entertainment, streaming services require ultra-high definition content to multiple devices simultaneously without buffering. Video production and analytics are also major drivers of bandwidth usage. The size and scale of live audiences are driving the need for this high-capacity demand.
For gaming organizations, high-definition graphics and low-latency requirements need high-capacity networks for a smooth, seamless user experience.

At large, enterprises adopting AI generate massive volumes of data, requiring robust and flexible connectivity solutions. Our partnership with Lumen proactively solves for complex network needs for an AI-ready future.

“This truly unlocks high-scale networks on our flexible platform, letting customers build out their network connections with almost no performance limitations,” said Chris Sharp, CTO of Digital Realty. “Combined with our high-density data centers in critical metro areas, it’s a strong foundation for enterprise AI infrastructure.”

Real-world impact: Cirrascale leads the way

Early adopters like Cirrascale Cloud Services are already leveraging this new AI WAN framework to power multi-site AI workloads. As a ServiceFabric® customer, Cirrascale is using RapidRoutes to ensure high-performance, low-latency connectivity between its infrastructure hubs — a critical requirement for deploying production AI models at scale.

“The introduction of an AI WAN connectivity framework, as powered through RapidRoutes, provides a simplified solution to meet our growing and evolving needs,” said Dave Driggers, CEO and Co-Founder of Cirrascale.

Private AI Exchange (AIPx): An ecosystem focused on openness, speed, and scale

This partnership is a cornerstone of Digital Realty’s expanding AIPx ecosystem, which is designed to support the full lifecycle of AI — from data ingestion and training to inference and deployment.

By combining Lumen’s dynamic network capabilities with Digital Realty’s high-density colocation and interconnection infrastructure, customers can build AI-ready environments that are both scalable and performant.

Additional benefits of our partnership include:

Flexible and open architecture: Enterprises can move data privately and securely across clouds, data centers, and edge locations. This is ideal for AI, GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS), data sovereignty, and repatriation use cases.
Geographic reach: The solution is expected to connect nearly 700 enterprise buildings and third-party data centers, enabling AI WAN capabilities across a broad footprint.
Rapid deployment: Services can be activated in under 20 business days, backed by guaranteed SLAs — a significant improvement over traditional installation timelines.*

Addressing the needs of modern businesses

Beyond the immediate benefits of speed and scale, the Digital Realty and Lumen partnership will enable a wider range of enterprise applications. This collaboration is not just about connectivity, it’s about unlocking a comprehensive digital infrastructure strategy that meets the evolving demands of modern enterprises.

This approach positions Digital Realty and Lumen as trusted partners for digital transformation, helping our customers navigate the complexities of AI, data gravity, and global compliance with confidence.

Together, we’re not just enabling AI — we’re accelerating it.

Ready to learn more about RapidRoutes and 400G on PlatformDIGITAL®? Talk to our team to explore our joint solutions and how we can help you realize AI’s full potential.

* Offer available Sept. 8-Dec. 31, 2025 to qualifying business customers for new services at select on-net locations [see site list here] require a minimum one-year term agreement. Offer excludes installation, taxes, fees and optional add-ons. 20-business-day service installation offer (to receive up to one-month credit for 100 and/or 400 Gbps on-net wavelength services only) starts from the date Order and Order Addendum are fully executed and received by Lumen. Early termination fees apply as set forth in Customer Agreement. Customer must remain in good standing. Offer may terminate upon any change to account. Offers above cannot be combined with other offers. Bandwidth may vary and is not guaranteed. Metro access charges may apply for customer locations outside major data centers and Lumen gateways. Lumen may change, cancel or substitute offers and services or vary them by service area at its sole discretion without notice. Additional terms and conditions apply, including “Excused Delay”; see Customer Agreement and Order Addendum.

1 IDC, FutureScape: Worldwide IT Industry 2025 Predictions, 2025

Gartner® Report: Market Guide: Private Connectivity for Cloud Services, Global