Key facts
- Meta is using tents as rapid deployment structures for AI data centers.
- Six AI data centers are currently operating in tents outside New Albany, Ohio.
- These tent structures are being built to accelerate AI infrastructure rollout.
- Meta has signed a decade-long deal for off-grid power plants to supply these data centers.
- The company is also building data center tents in Tennessee.
Meta is employing a rapid deployment strategy for its AI data centers by utilizing tents as "rapid deployment structures." According to data center tracker Cleanview, Meta is operating six such facilities in tents outside New Albany, Ohio. These structures allow for significantly faster construction compared to traditional data center buildings, which can take two to three years to build. Meta has also secured a decade-long deal for off-grid power plants to supply these facilities and is constructing similar tent data centers in Tennessee. This approach comes as Big Tech companies face challenges in rapidly scaling up AI infrastructure due to backlash against data centers and bureaucratic obstacles. The company's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, had previously indicated plans for weatherproof tents for data centers.