The tech scene in Southeast Asia is on fire. Investment in data centres is projected to more than double by 2030, with a huge chunk of that cash pouring into compact “edge” facilities. These local hubs are crucial for powering AI, streaming, and instant financial transactions.
But there’s a dirty secret hiding in the server rooms of this revolution. When you cram 300 kW of high-performance gear into a room built for 150 kW, you create a ticking time bomb. Every minute of downtime can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and the two biggest culprits are silent killers: heat and latency.
Your data centre cabling is no longer just plumbing; it’s the critical link that determines if your facility runs cool and fast, or hot and slow. Here’s how to get it right.
The Twin Enemies of Edge Computing: Heat and Latency
1. Why Edge Data Centres Overheat
The simple answer is density. The average power per rack has shot up in recent years, with designs climbing from around 5–10 kW to as high as 50 kW per rack in new edge deployments. This creates a perfect storm of heat-related problems:
- Cable Congestion: Thick bundles of traditional copper cables act like a wall, blocking cold air from reaching your servers. The PVC jackets on older cables are even worse—they’re like putting a duvet over a live wire, trapping heat. This isn’t just an inconvenience; it actively shortens the life of your equipment. A common rule in electronics is that for every 10°C increase in operating temperature, the lifespan of your hardware can be cut by up to 50%.
- The Rise of PoE: As more devices like security cameras and wireless access points are powered directly by Power over Ethernet (PoE), the data cables themselves become a source of heat. When these cables are bundled together, the heat builds up, which can degrade network performance and even damage the cable jackets over time.
- Tropical Climate: In Southeast Asia’s humid environment, a single hotspot in a poorly ventilated rack can quickly lead to condensation, risking short circuits and hardware failure.
- Strict Fire Codes: Regulators are cracking down. Singapore’s SCDF, for instance, has strict fire code requirements for cabling in air-handling (plenum) spaces, demanding materials that don’t produce toxic smoke.
2. Where Network Latency Creeps In
Latency is the delay in data transfer, and in the world of edge computing, every microsecond counts. A laggy network means slow trades for a fintech app or a stuttering stream for a media service. For applications like high-frequency trading or real-time fraud detection, even tiny delays can have a massive financial impact, as the success of these systems requires processing vast amounts of data with minimal latency. The main causes of latency are physical: every extra meter of copper cable, every inefficient switch, and every poorly made fibre connection adds a tiny delay that kills performance.
Smart Data Centre Cabling: Your First Line of Defence
Fighting the Heat with Better Power Cabling
You can’t change the laws of physics, but you can choose materials that work with them. The solution for better thermal management is to use modern, high-performance power cables with Low-Smoke, Zero-Halogen (LSZH) jackets.
JJ-LAPP’s ÖLFLEX® LSZH power cables are designed specifically for this challenge. They meet the stringent CPR Cca fire safety class, which means they reduce flame spread and have a smaller diameter.
| Cable Jacket Type | Typical Bundle Diameter* | Smoke & Toxicity | Fire Safety Class (CPR) | Airflow & Cooling | Best For… |
| Legacy PVC | 26 mm | Dense, Corrosive | Eca | Poor | Phasing out |
| LSZH CPR Cca | 22 mm | Low, Non-Corrosive | Cca-s1-d1-a1 | Good | Modern Edge, Risers |
| LSZH CPR B2ca | 21 mm | Very Low, Non-Corrosive | B2ca-s1-d0-a1 | Best | Mission-Critical White Space |
Comparison for a typical 24-core bundle. Smaller diameter means less insulation mass and better airflow.
What this actually means: A cable tray that used to hold 100 old PVC cables can now safely hold 125 of our Cca-grade LSZH cables with the same power capacity. That’s a 25% increase in airflow channels without spending a dime on new racks or containment, directly improving your Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) and lowering opex.
Killing Latency with Pre-Terminated Fibre Optics
For high-speed data, copper has its limits. The smart play for low-latency performance in edge facilities is to go straight to a 400G or 800G fibre optic backbone.
But not all fibre is created equal. The biggest performance killer is insertion loss—the signal degradation that happens at every connection point. The solution is to use factory-made, pre-terminated fibre trunks.
Our HITRONIC® MPO/MTP fibre trunks are terminated and tested in a clean, controlled factory environment to guarantee ultra-low signal loss (≤0.35 dB). This ensures your network meets the strict IEEE loss budgets in a single, clean run from switch to switch. Choosing between MPO-12, MPO-16, or MPO-24 trunks often comes down to your switch’s port configuration and your desired rack density. MPO-24 offers the highest density for cutting-edge switches, while MPO-12 is a flexible workhorse for many applications.
Even better, using pre-terminated trunks can slash installation time by up to 70% compared to terminating in the field. When your revenue depends on getting your data centre online, that’s not just a time-saver; it’s a massive financial win.
Don’t Cable for Today. Cable for 2030.
A key mistake in data centre construction is designing only for current needs. Network speeds are accelerating, and the jump from 400G to 800G and even 1.6T Ethernet is on the horizon. A cabling system that can’t handle these future speeds will require a hugely expensive “rip and replace” operation in just a few years.
Future-proofing your physical layer is one of the smartest investments you can make. This means:
- For Fibre: Installing higher-grade OM5 multi-mode fibre today provides the bandwidth needed to support future 400G and 800G standards over longer distances, giving you more flexibility than older OM4 fibre.
- For Copper: While Cat6A is the minimum for modern data centres, considering Cat8 for short, intra-rack connections prepares you for the 25G/40GBase-T Ethernet speeds that high-performance servers will demand.
By investing a small amount more in higher-specification cabling now, you build a resilient foundation that can adapt to the next generation of technology without a forklift upgrade.
Your Quick-Spec Checklist for Edge Data Centres
Don’t leave your performance to chance. Use this checklist when planning your next build or upgrade.
- Load & Length: Calculate your power needs carefully. Keep your copper cable runs under 30 meters to minimize heat and signal loss.
- Fire Class: Insist on Cca-rated LSZH cables or better in your white space. Make sure you have the IEC 60332-3 test documentation for your auditors.
- Tray Fill: Keep your cable trays no more than 40% full. This is critical for maintaining airflow and preventing hotspots.
- Strain Relief: Every cable should be supported with proper strain-relief glands and run through protective conduits under raised floors to prevent damage.
- Go Pre-Terminated: Specify factory-made MPO-16 or MPO-24 fibre trunks for your high-speed links. It saves time, reduces errors, and guarantees performance.
Straight Answers to Tough Questions (FAQs)
- “Is LSZH cabling mandatory everywhere in Southeast Asia?” In Singapore and Indonesia, it’s required by law in plenum spaces. In Malaysia and other regions, it’s strongly recommended by the fire code. The safe bet for any new build is to default to Cca-LSZH to be compliant and future-proof.
- “When should I use MPO fibre connectors instead of standard LC?” LC connectors are fine for links up to 25G. But for modern 400G or 800G networks, you need the density of MPO-12, MPO-16, or MPO-24 connectors to transmit all that data efficiently over a single cable.
- “Is pre-terminated fibre cabling really worth the money?” Absolutely. A real-world analysis for a 500-port data hall showed that going pre-terminated saved over 10 days of installer labor (a $14,000 saving) and allowed the facility to start billing customers three weeks earlier. The ROI was achieved in the very first month.
Conclusion: Don’t Let Cabling Be Your Downfall
Overheating racks, packet loss, and delayed project timelines are not inevitable side-effects of going edge. They are symptoms of a poor data centre cabling strategy.
By making smart, upfront decisions—designing with superior thermal management, low-latency performance, and fire safety compliance in mind—you can build a data centre that is cool, fast, and ready for revenue weeks ahead of schedule.
Ready to design a data centre that won’t bite you back? Request a free Edge DC Cabling Audit from JJ-LAPP. Our engineers will help you model your tray fill, calculate your loss budgets, and build a clear ROI case for your next project.