Direct Int’l Communication Traffic via stc Network Increases by 81% During Hajj

stc Group said that it worked this year to increase the capacity of the data network. SPA
stc Group said that it worked this year to increase the capacity of the data network. SPA
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Direct Int’l Communication Traffic via stc Network Increases by 81% During Hajj

stc Group said that it worked this year to increase the capacity of the data network. SPA
stc Group said that it worked this year to increase the capacity of the data network. SPA

stc Group announced Monday that direct international communication traffic during this Hajj season increased by 81% from last year.
The use of social media applications increased by 65%, according to the group, with Snapchat, WhatsApp and Facebook taking the lead. These social media applications enhance the pilgrims’ digital experience and facilitates their connection with their families.
stc Group said that it worked this year to increase the capacity of the data network through partnerships with prominent global service providers such as BICs, Syniverse, and Orange to increase the speed and quality of communication.

The company also strengthened its network by spreading more than 1,900 Wi-Fi points to enhance communication between pilgrims and their families.

stc Group had in place a comprehensive plan for the Hajj season that included major improvements to infrastructure, and modern digital services to pilgrims, such as augmented reality (AR) glasses supported by AI and connected to 5G network, which provide pilgrims with information in several languages, and smooth moving from one place to another through interaction with AI applications.
It also enables them to locate their companions, and get information about the holy sites using voice commands.

The group provides a service that enables pilgrims to communicate with their families through cabins that support high-resolution and high-speed video calls, available to everyone.



Microsoft Deal Signals Booming Demand from Data Centers to Power AI

General view of Microsoft Corporation headquarters at Issy-les-Moulineaux, near Paris, France, April 18, 2016. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File Photo
General view of Microsoft Corporation headquarters at Issy-les-Moulineaux, near Paris, France, April 18, 2016. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File Photo
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Microsoft Deal Signals Booming Demand from Data Centers to Power AI

General view of Microsoft Corporation headquarters at Issy-les-Moulineaux, near Paris, France, April 18, 2016. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File Photo
General view of Microsoft Corporation headquarters at Issy-les-Moulineaux, near Paris, France, April 18, 2016. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File Photo

US utilities are finally signing concrete supply deals with data-center operators as the artificial-intelligence wave sparks a surge in power demand, paving the way for higher profits in the coming quarters.

Data centers are expected to account for 8% of the power generated in the US by 2030, compared with 3% in 2022, according to a Goldman Sachs report in May.

Here are some deals announced by utilities in 2024, according to Reuters.

Constellation Energy signed an exclusive deal with Microsoft to restart one of the units at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania.

Under the agreement, the utility will provide 835 megawatts (MW) of energy to the tech giant's data centers. The deal would also mark the first ever restart of a nuclear power plant in the US after it was shut down.

Ameren signed a supply deal with a data center with a power capacity of 250 megawatt (MW). It has also received expansion commitments and executed new contracts for more 85 MW of additional load for smaller data centers and other industries across Missouri and Illinois.

Alliant Energy said it has executed multiple power supply deals with data centers, but did not disclose details.

Exelon said it is in the engineering phase for more than 5 GW of data center capacity. Some data-center customers have also made deposits for ComEd - Exelon's subsidiary - to order transmission and breakers, the firm said during a post-earnings call.

American Electric Power signed letters of intent to power an additional 15 GW of data centers by the end of the decade.

Xcel Energy will supply power to Meta Platforms' data center in Minnesota, expected to come online in late summer 2025.

Entergy has received legislative approval for investment in transmission and generation to serve Amazon's upcoming Amazon Web Services (AWS) facility in Mississippi. Pinnacle West Capital has more than 4,000 MW of committed data center customers, not including the backlog of more than 10,000 data center requests it has received.

AES signed an agreement with Google for 310 megawatts to support its Ohio data centers.

It further expanded a previously announced partnership with Google and signed a 15-year power purchase agreement for 727 megawatts in Texas. Talen Energy announced a deal to supply electricity and its 960-megawatt data center campus to Amazon's AWS in Pennsylvania.

NextEra's renewables segment saw a rise of 3 gigawatts (GW) worth of renewables and storage projects in second quarter, including Google's 860 megawatts (MW) demand for its data center power.