06.06, 16:00–17:00 (Europe/Zurich), Mosaik 2
What if local communities owned their own data centers? And where do we see tangible examples of such projects in the Bits & Bäume Community?
The use of modern digital technologies relies on accessing data or software stored on external servers housed in data centers. The share of global data center ownership held by big tech is growing rapidly; by 2030, over 60% of total capacity is likely to be owned by large hyperscaler companies.
Countering this oligopoly of (compute) power, this session asks: What if local communities owned their own data centers? And where do we see tangible examples of such projects in the Bits & Bäume Community? In the first 20 minutes, I introduce the concept of community data centers and present four archetypes identified through participatory workshops with 130 people in 4 countries. The talk is followed by a 25 minute discussion in which we invite members from the audience to describe community data centers they know or are part of. The outcome will be an online mapping of community data center projects in the Bits & Bäume ecosystem and the knowledge that different data centers are possible.
