China's Grip on Erbium and Yttrium Could Choke Data-Center Growth, IEEE Reports
pstAsiatech · x · 2026-08-27
IEEE Spectrum reports that China's export controls on rare earth elements like erbium and yttrium could threaten critical data-center technologies such as optical communications. The commenter argues real disruption would only materialize if US-China relations deteriorate and Beijing retaliates against specific measures like the FCC's potential ban on optical transceivers—each Chinese move in this domain responds to a concrete US action.
More from Infra
- ChronoScale announces 50MW NVIDIA GB300 deployment with Microsoft for AI inference — r_jegaa · 2026-08-27
- OpenAI used AI models to help design its AI chips — Hesamation · 2026-08-27
- Engineering Win: mxfp8 x mxfp4 Matmul Outperforms Standard mxfp8 — zephyr_z9 · 2026-08-27
- The Guardian video: everyone hates datacentres — but do we really need them? — nordicinst · 2026-08-27
- How big of a problem is AI's water use? — Ars Technica AI · 2026-08-27
- US Suburban Sprinklers Use More Water in Two Days Than Data Centers Do in a Year — neil_chilson · 2026-08-27