Comin Asia and Nokia Partner to Deploy AI-Ready Infrastructure in Southeast Asia’s Emerging Markets
June 30, 2026
Comin Asia and Nokia Partner to Deploy AI-Ready Infrastructure in Southeast Asia’s Emerging Markets
A new partnership between Comin Asia and Nokia is set to reshape the landscape of AI infrastructure in Southeast Asia by targeting markets that have traditionally been overlooked. Rather than building in established data center hubs like the FLAP-D markets, the companies are focusing on Cambodia and Laos, where conditions such as surplus power capacity and growing cross-border network connectivity offer distinct advantages for localized deployment.
The collaboration aims to deliver modular, in-building, and edge-ready facilities designed to support enterprise and government AI workloads closer to where data is generated. This approach reflects a strategic shift away from the region’s more visible data center hotspots, which often face grid pressure and regulatory complexity. Thailand, for example, is experiencing increased strain on its power grid and more intricate regulatory hurdles that are influencing how future data center projects are delivered there.
“This partnership is about building that infrastructure in the markets where it is most viable, not just most visible,” said Ivan Keogh, CEO of Comin Asia. Under the agreement, Comin Asia will serve as the regional systems integrator and delivery partner, leveraging its experience in mechanical and electrical engineering, procurement, and construction across Southeast Asia. Nokia will provide the networking technologies, including high-performance data center networking, automation platforms, and secure connectivity designed to support AI workloads at scale.
The partnership also underscores growing demand from governments and enterprises across the region for infrastructure that supports data sovereignty, privacy, and regulatory compliance. Many organizations are seeking to reduce reliance on global hyperscale ecosystems while retaining greater control over where AI applications operate and where data is stored. Comin Asia and Nokia say their deployment model is designed to meet these requirements by enabling AI infrastructure that can operate within national or regional boundaries.
“By combining Nokia’s validated Data Centre Network Solutions with Comin Asia’s regional execution capabilities, we are enabling a new class of AI infrastructure that is distributed, secure, and aligned with real-world deployment conditions,” said Ajay Sharma, Country Manager of Nokia Thailand and Cambodia. The companies emphasize execution over land banking, positioning the partnership around delivering operational systems rather than announcing future capacity.
Initial feasibility assessments and deployments are already underway in Cambodia and Laos, with further expansion planned across Southeast Asia as infrastructure availability and regulatory conditions permit. The partnership will support enterprise AI deployments, government digital infrastructure initiatives, and applications across the energy, telecom, finance, and public sectors.
Source: datacentremagazine
