Meta has constructed six weatherproof tents in New Albany, Ohio, as part of its effort to expedite the building of its multi-gigawatt data centers. The tents, referred to as 'rapid deployment structures,' are part of a broader strategy to accelerate infrastructure development, according to Michael Thomas, founder of Cleanview, which tracks data center deployments. The company has built five 125,000-square-foot tents between April and June, as revealed by city permits reviewed by Thomas. The structures are now fully erected, as shown by satellite images shared by Thomas on X.
The use of tents mirrors Tesla’s approach during the Model 3 production rush, when the company used similar structures in its Fremont, California factory. Meta’s strategy also incorporates modular gas turbines, a tactic popularized by xAI. These turbines provide power to the data centers, which are expected to house billions of dollars worth of AI chips. The company is expanding this approach to multiple campuses across the U.S., with plans to invest up to $145 billion in data centers and other capital expenditures.
Meta’s recent focus on rapid deployment structures comes amid delays in releasing its AI model, Muse Spark, to developers. A report from the Wall Street Journal noted that while the model is complete, the APIs for developers have been repeatedly delayed. Meta’s stock has declined by 5% this year, partly due to concerns over its massive investment in data centers. TechCrunch has contacted Meta for comment and will update this article if a response is received.
Source: techcrunch
