Submer buys Radian Arc to build sovereign telco AI edge

Submer has acquired Radian Arc Operations, adding a carrier-embedded GPU edge computing platform to its modular AI data centre business as demand grows for sovereign AI services across telecom networks and enterprise estates.

The deal combines Submer's data centre design, build and operations capabilities with Radian Arc's infrastructure-as-a-service platform, which runs inside telecommunications networks. Together, the group aims to supply both centralised facilities and distributed edge locations, focusing on deployments where operators and organisations want data processed within national borders.

Submer designs and operates modular AI data centre infrastructure and provides systems integration. It points to liquid cooling as a core strength, alongside AI-ready facility design and IT deployment. Its customers include enterprises, telecom operators and public-sector organisations, with an emphasis on energy consumption, latency and regulatory requirements.

Radian Arc has built a distributed GPU edge platform that telcos can host within their own networks, providing compute, storage and networking. The platform integrates with existing carrier billing and data systems and is used for cloud gaming and AI workloads where response times matter.

Edge and Core

The acquisition links Submer's cloud platform, InferX, with Radian Arc's edge footprint. InferX is aligned with the NVIDIA Cloud Partner programme, according to Submer, and is positioned as an AI operations and delivery platform across cloud and edge environments.

The combined footprint spans North America, Europe, the UK, India, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, Submer said. Radian Arc has deployments across more than 70 telecom and edge compute customers globally, with thousands of GPUs in operation.

Telecom operators have increasingly promoted edge compute as a way to host applications closer to users. That shift is tied to the rollout of 5G networks and the need for local processing for interactive services. In some use cases, AI inference workloads have also moved closer to the edge, particularly where organisations want lower latency or face constraints on moving data across borders.

Submer is positioning the combined offering around sovereign AI, an industry term for systems that keep data, model operations and governance within a specific jurisdiction. In telecom environments, the appeal also includes using existing network sites and operational systems rather than relying solely on third-party hyperscale cloud regions.

Telco Use Cases

Radian Arc's platform runs inside live carrier environments, supporting commercial services such as cloud gaming and real-time AI applications. It also positions the platform as a way for operators to generate revenue from 5G investments while keeping control of operations and data.

In practice, carrier-hosted GPU infrastructure can provide a shared pool of compute closer to end users than traditional data centres. This can suit interactive gaming, video processing, industrial monitoring and AI-driven customer experiences where response times affect service quality.

Submer also ties the acquisition to what it calls next-generation AI factories-deployments that combine dense compute with cooling, networking and storage in modular form. Modular builds have become more common as operators and enterprises seek repeatable facility designs and faster site deployment, though outcomes still depend on grid access, planning constraints and supply chain availability.

Land and Power

Submer also points to access to land and power pipelines exceeding 5GW across the UK, the United States, India and the Middle East through partner consortiums. As GPU clusters scale, large AI infrastructure projects have become more dependent on power availability, while liquid cooling has gained attention as rack densities rise.

The transaction also brings Submer an established customer base. Radian Arc's relationships with telecom operators could provide a channel for Submer's modular data centre work and broader cloud platform portfolio, particularly where operators want a mix of centralised training environments and edge inference infrastructure.

Patrick Smets, Submer's chief executive officer, said the deal broadens the company's cloud and telco proposition.

"This acquisition of Radian Arc completes our full-stack cloud infrastructure," Smets said. "Bringing Radian Arc together with InferX, our AI operations and delivery platform, forms a dual-plane, sovereign, telco-focused cloud offering that is highly competitive in today's AI datacentre market."

He also linked the acquisition to Submer's heritage in cooling and its move into broader infrastructure delivery.

"Built on ten years of liquid cooling leadership, Submer has evolved into a full-stack AI datacentre provider, fully accountable from chip to operation. Joining forces with the Radian Arc team and their edge compute platform is an exciting next step, further strengthening our position as the single accountable partner for end-to-end AI infrastructure," Smets said.

David Cook, Radian Arc's chief executive officer, said the platform was shaped by customer and partner engagement and pointed to Submer's partner ecosystem as a route to broader deployments.

"We have built our platform in close cooperation with our customers and partners, allowing us to develop a powerful model that demonstrably works at scale," Cook said. "By joining Submer's established partner ecosystem, we are now in a position to accelerate delivery of sovereign AI infrastructure faster and with lower latency to telecom operators worldwide."