BFM 89.9

HIGHLIGHTS 
Podcast  >  Enterprise  >  Open For Business  >  From Copper Cables to Data Centres Powering AI

From Copper Cables to Data Centres Powering AI

Wong Weng Yew, Founder and Managing Director, Open DC

27-Oct-25 10:00

From Copper Cables to Data Centres Powering AI

Data centres are no longer just information warehouses; they are high-density hubs, or ‘airports for internet traffic’, and the demand for power is exploding from 6 kilowatts a rack to over 150.

Wong Weng Yew, a 20-year industry veteran and the founder of Open DC, joins us to share his journey. He explains his pivot from a traditional ISP to building a RM70 million (projected) data centre business, his unique focus on telco-neutral hubs, and how his new facilities are being built to handle the intense power demands of AI workloads.

We discuss:

  • His 20-year journey from an ISP to a data centre operator.

  • Open DC's unique role as an ‘airport for internet traffic’.

  • How AI is demanding a massive increase in "rack density" (power per rack).

  • Why enterprises are now outsourcing their high-power AI infrastructure.

  • The growth strategy that put them on track for RM70M in revenue by 2026.

This episode of Open For Business is powered by PETRONAS SmartPay, the simpler and better solution for all your business needs.

Produced by: Carol Wong

Presented by: Roshan Kanesan


This and more than 60,000 other podcasts in your hand. Download the all new BFM mobile app.

Categories:  technologymarketseconomyentrepreneursSMEsponsored content

Tags:  tech hardwarepetronassmartpaydata centresAI infrastructuredigital infrastructuretelecommunications





Play / Pause

Listen now : Beyond the Ballot Box:

Today’s Shows



6:00 AM

The 6AM Stretch

Thought-provoking discussions on ideas, people and events shaping our lives.

7:00 AM

World Market Watch

Laurent Lequeu, Independent Market Analyst & Writer, The Macro Butler Newsletter.

7:15 AM

Morning Brief

We recap global and local headlines from today's papers and portals.

7:30 AM

Morning Brief

Patrick Wong, Head of Hong Kong & Senior Analyst, Asia Pacific Real Estate at Bloomberg Intelligence, discusses Hong Kong’s property market outlook.

7:45 AM

Morning Brief

Adrian Pereira, Executive Director of the North South Initiative, discusses the direct hiring proposal by the Human Resource Ministry.

8:00 AM

The Breakfast Grille

Justin Tan, Managing Director of Exsim Hospitality Berhad, talks about the company's performance and strategy moving forward.

8:30 AM

Morning Brief

Dr Sonia Mycak of ANU examines Ukraine’s peace prospects as Russia’s latest strikes cripple energy infrastructure and worsen the humanitarian crisis.

8:45 AM

Morning Brief

(REPEAT) We dive into the local and international news that matters to you.

9:00 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Laurent Lequeu, Independent Market Analyst & Writer, The Macro Butler Newsletter

9:15 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Patrick Wong, Head of Hong Kong & Senior Analyst, Asia Pacific Real Estate at Bloomberg Intelligence, discusses Hong Kong’s property market outlook.

9:35 AM

Ringgit & Sense

Ian Wong, Founder & CEO of Uno Advisers and licensed financial planner, shares the financial mistakes you don’t want to make in 2026.

10:05 AM

Open For Business

Riley Goh, Founder of The Lighthouse Academia, shares how her training-the-trainers model works as a business, how the company makes money, and what growth looks like for a business that’s in a niche market.

11:00 AM

Tech Talk

Alexander Wong, Co-Founder of SoyaCincau, explores the growing "AI fatigue" hitting the tech industry and ask the hard questions: Is AI becoming the new bloatware?

12:00 PM

Enterprise Explores

How AI is Starving the Internet. Cloudflare’s Nan Hao Maguire on the "referral deficit" and the rise of the Machine Web. Learn more about how & why autonomous AI agents are becoming the internet's most significant new users.

1:00 PM

The Breakfast Grille Repeat

Justin Tan, Managing Director of Exsim Hospitality Berhad, talks about the company's performance and strategy moving forward.

2:05 PM

Discovery Hour

An eclectic selection of BBC shows, curated with variety in mind.

3:05 PM

Beyond the Ballot Box

4:05 PM

Health & Living

We peep behind the radiation machines of a hospital to find out about the role of the clinical medical physicist.

5:00 PM

Top 5 at 5

A countdown of the 5 biggest stories of the day, to catch you up on all you need to know!

6:00 PM

Talkback Thursday