SoftBank Group Corp: Ohio Data Center

The Ohio Data Center is a flagship U.S. hyperscale facility being developed under the Stargate Project, a global AI infrastructure initiative led by SoftBank Group Corp., OpenAI, and Oracle Corporation. Located in Lordstown, Ohio, the site is one of the largest planned data centers in the world — part of a massive 10-gigawatt (GW) investment program to build a distributed network of AI-optimized data centers across North America.

Strategically positioned in the Midwestern United States, the Lordstown facility benefits from abundant land availability, robust utility infrastructure, and proximity to major fiber routes connecting Chicago, Pittsburgh, and the East Coast. The location provides geographic balance to other Stargate sites in Texas and New Mexico, ensuring redundancy, low latency, and operational continuity across the network.

Designed to power the next generation of AI, high-performance computing (HPC), and hyperscale cloud applications, the Ohio Data Center will host dense GPU clusters and liquid-cooled computing systems capable of training large-scale models like OpenAI’s GPT series. Backed by SoftBank’s global technology investment expertise, Oracle’s enterprise cloud architecture, and OpenAI’s compute requirements, this project represents one of the most ambitious AI infrastructure builds in history.

⚙️ Facility Highlights

• Operator: Developed under the Stargate Project (SoftBank Group Corp., OpenAI, Oracle Corporation).
• Location: Lordstown, Ohio, United States.
• Facility Role: Northern U.S. AI and hyperscale cloud data center within the Stargate network.
• Power Capacity: Expected capacity up to 1 GW, part of Stargate’s global 10 GW deployment plan.
• Power Supply: Access to Ohio’s diversified energy grid with integration of renewable and nuclear energy sources.
• High-Density Compute: Designed to support GPU and HPC racks exceeding 50 kW/rack for AI workloads.
• Cooling Technology: Advanced liquid immersion and rear-door heat exchange systems to manage ultra-dense computing clusters.
• Scale: Multi-phase, multi-building campus covering several hundred acres in Lordstown.
• Design Redundancy: Tier IV-equivalent architecture with dual substations, redundant transformers, and N+N power systems.
• Operational Timeline: Expected commissioning in 2026, with phased capacity expansion through 2030.

🔐 Security & Compliance

• 24/7 Security Operations Center (SOC): Onsite and remote security monitoring integrated with AI-assisted analytics.
• Perimeter Protection: Secure fencing, controlled vehicle access, and continuous surveillance coverage.
• Access Control: Biometric authentication, keycard systems, and multi-factor verification for restricted areas.
• AI-Driven Surveillance: Behavioral analytics and predictive threat detection across the facility.
• Redundant Power Systems: Dual power feeds, UPS protection, and backup generators ensuring uninterrupted uptime.
• Certifications (Planned):
• ISO/IEC 27001 — Information Security Management
• ISO 22301 — Business Continuity Management
• SOC 2 Type II — Data Security & Privacy Controls
• Uptime Institute Tier IV (Design Target)
• Disaster Resilience: Built to withstand severe weather conditions and grid instability common to the Midwest.

🌐 Connectivity & Carrier Access

• Carrier-Neutral Facility: Multi-carrier fiber access with redundant entry routes.
• Regional Network Integration: High-speed connectivity to Chicago, New York, and Washington, D.C. Internet exchange points.
• Stargate Network Backbone: Direct interconnection with other Stargate sites in Texas, New Mexico, and the planned Midwest location.
• Cloud Integration: Native connectivity to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) and OpenAI’s distributed compute clusters.
• Global Reach: Linked to SoftBank’s international network for transpacific connectivity between the U.S. and Asia.
• Custom Connectivity Options: Dedicated dark fiber, MPLS, and private optical circuits for enterprise clients.

👥 Who It Serves

The Ohio Data Center is designed to meet the compute and connectivity demands of the world’s most data-intensive industries.

• AI & Machine Learning Organizations: Large-scale GPU compute for training and deploying AI models.
• Cloud Service Providers: Oracle Cloud and other hyperscalers leveraging the site’s power and space.
• Telecommunications & Edge Infrastructure: Supporting low-latency backbone routing across the Midwest and East Coast.
• Government & Defense Applications: Secure colocation and private compute zones for regulated workloads.
• Financial & Enterprise Clients: High-availability infrastructure for analytics, fintech, and big data applications.
• Research & Academia: Access to supercomputing resources for scientific and technical innovation.