Deutsche Telekom partnering with Nvida, Brookfield on AI data centre -CEO

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(Reuters) -Deutsche Telekom is partnering with Nvidia and Canadian private equity fund Brookfield in a bid to build one of the EU’s AI “gigafactories” in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, its chief executive said on Thursday.

“We have partnerships with Brookfield and also with Nvidia – these are our big partners for this gigabit factory,” CEO Tim Hoettges said in a call with reporters following the company’s second quarter results.

Although discussions with North Rhine-Westphalia about building the data processing center in the state are ongoing, a final decision has yet to be made.

“This is where we currently see our factory. But, of course, that could still change during the selection process,” Hoettges said, adding that the company would proceed as quickly as possible once a decision is reached.

The company is looking at existing production sites where electricity and water regulatory approvals are already in place, Hoettges said.

“Discussions are happening here, for example with RWE,” he said.

In May, the Bonn-based company said it had teamed up with SAP, web hosting firm Ionos, and unlisted retailer Schwarz, but in June it was reported the companies would submit separate EU bids instead.

Hoettges dismissed media reports that it had been in talks to join such a consortium.

“It’s a good thing that there is competition in Germany,” he said.

(Reporting by Marleen Kaesebier and Maria Rugamer in Gdansk; Editing by Matt Scuffham)