- Google’s Vint Cerf and Columbia’s Eli Noam to open with bold 2030 forecasts
- Industry sessions to address AI’s energy demands and the next wave of infrastructure investment
What’s happening: PTC’s conference to take place in Washington, D.C. 4–5 September 2025
Washington, D.C., 4–5 September 2025 — The Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC) will host its flagship mid-year event, PTC’DC 2025, at the JW Marriott in Washington, D.C., USA. The two-day conference is set to bring together an influential mix of government officials, regulators, private equity leaders, tech CEOs, and international policymakers to unpack urgent trends shaping global digital infrastructure.
The programme will open with a forward-looking keynote, “The World in 2030: A Glimpse Into What’s Possible,”featuring Google’s Vint Cerf and Columbia University’s Eli Noam, who will share insights on how automation, biomedical innovation, and AI could transform industries and societies within five years.
AI and energy are expected to dominate the conversation. During the panel “Chasing Gigawatts in Global AI and Energy,” Andy Power (Digital Realty) and Randy Brouckman (EdgeConneX) will examine the rising strain of AI workloads on global energy infrastructure.
In the investment sphere, “Private Equity: The Petrol for Data Centres” will feature insights from Derek Chu(AustralianSuper) and Renato Mazzola (BTG Pactual), addressing how investment strategies are shifting in an AI-accelerated world.
Policy and international cooperation will also take the stage. A key session on “The Next Chapter in US Tech Leadership and Policy Evolution” will include Keri Gilder (Colt Technology), Takuo Imagawa (MIC, Japan), and Bill Barney (Asian Century Equity), highlighting evolving alliances and regulatory frameworks in the global tech ecosystem.
Meanwhile, Equinix’s Leanne Starace and OCOLO’s Tony Rossabi will lead a panel on global AI model training, exploring infrastructure and policy challenges across regions like the Middle East, Nordics, Japan, and the US.
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Why it matters
As generative AI, global model training, and compute-intensive infrastructure projects scale at pace, the digital world is entering a period of rapid evolution. PTC’DC 2025 will provide a high-level platform to address the environmental, financial, and geopolitical pressures arising from this transformation.
Private equity’s expanding role in shaping the future of data centres—high-value strategic assets—underscores a shift in how capital and policy are converging around digital infrastructure.
Set in the U.S. capital, this year’s event promises to be a rare convergence of East–West perspectives, digital regulation, and next-generation infrastructure strategy—cementing PTC’s role as a critical convener in global telecom and tech leadership.
