CCOI
The AI infrastructure shopping spree continues
I Squared Capital says it has bought 10 data center facilities from Cogent Fiber for $225 million in cash. Translation: the private-equity world still thinks the picks-and-shovels side of AI is where the real action is.
Why this matters
This isn’t just some boring real-estate shuffle. Data centers are the behind-the-scenes plumbing for AI inference, the part where models actually do stuff instead of just sitting there looking smart in a demo. If demand stays hot, assets like these can become the infrastructure equivalent of owning land near a new highway interchange.
The investor angle
For Cogent, a sale like this can mean a cleaner balance sheet, fresh cash, and a possible shift in focus. For everyone else in the data-center ecosystem, it’s another reminder that capital is still chasing AI capacity like it’s the last seat on a sold-out flight.
Big picture: when money starts changing hands this fast in infrastructure, it usually means the market thinks the trend has legs — not just a hype cycle with good lighting.