British Telecom (BT), the UK’s primary mobile telecommunications service provider, and Nscale, a UK-based artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure company and “neocloud” hyperscaler, plan to develop sovereign AI data centers in the United Kingdom (UK) using NVIDIA full-stack AI infrastructure. The goal is to expand domestic AI computing capacity using trusted national networks so organizations can deploy AI systems while keeping data, security, and operational control within the country.
According to a press release, Nscale plans to build 14 MWs of AI data center capacity across three existing strategic BT sites in the U.K, BT will provide infrastructure and connectivity for these facilities. The buildout is intended to help meet growing demand for AI compute.
Tom Burke, Chief Revenue Officer, Nscale, said, “Partnering with BT is a major milestone in supporting the UK’s AI ambitions and its position in the global AI economy. BT’s nationwide digital infrastructure and Nscale’s modular, NVIDIA-powered AI data center deployment will give organizations access to world-class compute, with the assurance that their data and operations can stay local.”
Jon James, CEO, BT Business, said, “Digital sovereignty enables UK organizations to adopt the world’s leading technologies, while maintaining resilience and control in a rapidly changing world. Our collaboration with Nscale reflects BT’s unique position as the digital backbone of the UK.”
Anthony Hills, Director UKI, NVIDIA, said, “By combining BT’s trusted nationwide infrastructure with Nscale’s AI data centers powered by NVIDIA , this collaboration expands access to sovereign compute under UK control, enabling telcos and their customers to innovate with AI while keeping sensitive data and operations in the country.”
AI Minister, Kanishka Narayan, said, “This investment in new AI data centers will give businesses and public services the tools they need to use AI at scale here in the UK. Building more of this on British shores strengthens our position in a highly competitive global market.”
The development extends BT Business’ sovereign platform to support additional AI services for both public and private sector organizations. Users will be able to run AI models in-country to meet regulatory, data residency, and security requirements. They will also be able to scale AI capacity on demand without upfront infrastructure investment, while maintaining operational control.
Sovereignty is a key part of the UK government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, which focuses on economic growth through AI and data center investment while maintaining national resilience and control. NVIDIA, Nscale, and BT are also founding members of the UK Sovereign AI Industry Forum, a coalition working with the government to strengthen AI infrastructure, skills capacity, and the startup ecosystem.