Despite the UK's thriving digital services sector, the British public is relatively clueless about what a data center's actually for, according to new research.
In a survey by CyrusOne, only 38% of respondents could accurately describe the purpose of data centers, compared with two-thirds in Germany and 60% in the Netherlands and Ireland.
With this lack of understanding comes an inherent feeling of mistrust, the study warned, prompting calls for better education on the potential benefits.
"Data centers are the backbone of how we live and work today, but the degree to which they support our society is still largely misunderstood by the general public, as our research demonstrates," said Matt Pullen, EVP, Managing Director Europe at CyrusOne.
"Misconceptions ultimately lead to mistrust, and this is why developing a sound understanding of public attitudes to data centers is critical to ensure that we can continue to provide state of the art infrastructure for the businesses that depend upon us and deliver meaningful benefits to our host communities."
With data centers often the target of local and environmental objections, the report looked at the factors influencing people to look at them more enthusiastically.
Currently, just over half of Brits feel positively about data centers, with four-in-ten saying they felt neutral. Encouragingly, those living near one were more positive.
Economic benefits meant the most, with two-thirds agreeing that they bring value through job opportunities and 62% agreeing that they contribute to economic growth in the local area. This rose to 71% and 68% respectively among those who have a data center located nearby.
Meanwhile, half the people surveyed saw benefits from investment in related projects, such as parks and playgrounds.
On the downside, though, people cited negative impacts including the impact of high energy use (40%), the creation of electronic waste (33%), and land use (30%).
Selling the benefits of data centers is key
In terms of selling the benefits of data centers, the survey found that increasing job opportunities would have the most impact in making people feel more positive, with four-in-ten agreeing on this point. Next was amenities such as biodiverse spaces for public use, cycle paths, and playgrounds, picked by 37%.
Three-in-ten said that knowing a data center development would create broader economic growth for the local area would make them more willing to have one in their local community; hiring local people for construction and operations and providing training and apprenticeship opportunities for local people were also popular.
"It’s clear from the research that public opinion of data centers is more positive than expected and that perhaps the sector is not always presented in a way that accurately portrays how people really perceive it." said Emma Fryer, Director of Public Policy, Europe at CyrusOne.
"It is therefore really important that we, as developers and operators, listen carefully to people in our host communities, while continuing to educate, identify their needs and act accordingly to deliver meaningful local benefits."
After Labour's victory in the general election earlier this year, chancellor Rachel Reeves announced her intention to intervene when planning permission for data centers was refused, so long as the development showed 'potential gain' for both regional and national economies.
Planning appeals are already set to take place for data centers in Buckinghamshire and in Hertfordshire.
