“High Above, Closer to the Edge: The Broadcast Tower Blaze and the Datacenter That Lived to Tell”

You wouldn’t believe it, but as you know, misfortune never comes alone, and it seems Murphy has a firm grip on Kelvin’s laws. Did you read the story “When the Storm Hit: A Datacenter’s Battle Against Heat and Nature”? That organization had a second datacenter located in a radio/TV broadcast tower.

Choosing such a location might seem like the epitome of safety and continuity—high above any potential floodwaters and built for 24/7 operation (since these towers also transmit civil alarm messages). It sounded like the perfect spot for a secondary data center, offering optimal security.

However, it was quite a shock to discover that even such a tower doesn’t eliminate all risks. On the contrary, these towers are increasingly being fitted with new antennas for DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting), local broadcasters, and telephony. And in the quest to cut costs, long-term overloading of antennas is likely the cause of a significant fire in the tower, leading to the eventual collapse of the mast’s top.

Fortunately, the datacenter was situated a few floors below the incident, and we didn’t suffer major damage from the event. (You can read the story of the broadcast tower here: [link to the story, which I can’t access]).

This tale serves as a poignant reminder that in the world of IT and telecommunications, high and dry doesn’t always mean safe and sound. The relentless pursuit of cost efficiency, coupled with the physical realities of expanding technology infrastructure, can introduce unforeseen vulnerabilities.