The expansion of AI is accelerating equipment refresh cycles and the shift from copper cabling to fiber optic deployment in data centers.
Since 2025, demand for fiber-optic cabling and servers has risen sharply, driven by the growth of cloud computing and the push for higher bandwidth capacity in data center environments. Research companies such as IDC point to a direct effect on hardware replacement programs designed to keep pace with these requirements.
The global server market reached USD 95.2 billion in Q1 2025, up 134.1% year over year. This surge, driven by GPU-based servers for AI workloads, is pushing operators to retire legacy platforms and adopt more efficient server architectures.
In Latin America, for instance, the fiber optic market is projected to reach USD 8.2 billion by 2027, driven by the transition from copper to fiber in data centers to achieve higher speeds and improved energy efficiency. In parallel, demand tied to generative AI and inference workloads is increasing the need for accelerated servers based on GPUs, FPGAs, and ASICs.
Data Center Transformation in 2026
The AI boom is driving large-scale upgrades across data centers to improve scalability and reduce power consumption. In parallel, pre-terminated fiber supports these refresh programs by lowering latency and reducing energy costs in modernization initiatives.
Aerodoc provides end-to-end logistics support for data center operators—and their vendors—that are under pressure to deploy servers, switches, routers, cabling, and broader network infrastructure across new countries or sites. This is particularly relevant when AI-driven expansion requires immediate scaling, local legal presence is not in place, or deployments face delays due to permits and regulatory constraints.
An End-to-End Logistics Partner to Scale Your Projects
Aerodoc serves as a logistics and regulatory facilitator through its Importer of Record (IOR) service, supported by operational execution and regulatory services designed to complete the end-to-end international expansion cycle. What does Aerodoc manage on your behalf?
1) Unlock imports when you don’t have a local entity
When a company needs to bring hardware into a country without a local entity, Aerodoc serves as the legal importer and takes responsibility for compliance with local requirements. Aerodoc provides the Importer of Record role and manages documentation, licenses and permits, duties and taxes, and other legal obligations required to obtain customs clearance.
2) Pre-compliance to prevent customs holds
Aerodoc integrates pre-compliance processes with pre-shipment inspections, applying a preventive approach designed to reduce the risk of customs issues. This includes an early review of the destination country’s regulatory requirements, initiating tariff classification upfront, and confirming whether any specific licenses or permits are required. In parallel, Aerodoc performs physical checks of the goods—including packaging, labeling, country of origin, part numbers, and serial numbers—to verify alignment between the documentation and the shipment contents.
3) Door-to-door and DDP to accelerate multinational deployments
Aerodoc provides door-to-door delivery, including DDP with IOR service, coordinating delivery through the final destination while acting as the Importer of Record to meet the receiving country’s regulatory requirements. This approach supports parallel rollouts across different locations, such as new Points of Presence (PoPs) or edge computing sites, by standardizing the logistics flow and reducing cross-border customs friction.
4) Specialized last-mile delivery, delivery assurance, and white-glove service
One of the most failure-prone stages is the last mile, particularly in markets with limited domestic infrastructure or at technical sites outside major urban hubs. In this context, Aerodoc offers delivery assurance models backed by a centrally coordinated network of local agents, with operational tracking through confirmed on-site receipt.
This approach can also include white-glove delivery, a service standard designed for sensitive or high-value shipments. Beyond transportation, it covers specialized handling, advanced coordination with the receiving site, scheduled access to technical facilities, placement of equipment in the designated room, removal of packaging, and verification of delivery conditions.
5) Strategic warehousing, bonded storage, and staging capacity
In fast-track expansion scenarios, such as those driven by rising demand for AI infrastructure, immediate equipment availability becomes a decisive factor. In this context, strategic storage is a logistics planning lever.
Aerodoc operates a global warehousing network. For data center operators and vendors, strategic warehousing supports demand buffers, reduces exposure to stockouts, and structures phased distribution of equipment across multiple destinations. It also supports technical staging activities, such as site-specific kitting (pre-configured racks, server lots, or project-specific components). This reduces field deployment lead times and minimizes friction across regional rollouts executed in waves.
6) Reverse logistics, RMA, and operational continuity
Managing reverse flows is as important as the initial distribution. Aerodoc’s offering includes RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) and reverse logistics services to coordinate returns, replacements, and cross-border equipment movements for technology assets.
Reverse logistics requires documentation coordination, regulatory compliance for re-exports, asset traceability, and orchestration with OEMs and repair centers. For data center operators, having a structured international circuit for replacements and DOA (Dead On Arrival) units helps reduce downtime and maintain Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
If you operate data centers—or supply data center infrastructure—at Aerodoc, we can serve as your international logistics partner, aligning our services with your project requirements so you can scale with speed and control.
Q&A
- How does hardware refresh in data centers impact inventory and capacity planning? A faster hardware refresh in data centers shortens procurement cycles and increases the need for rigorous capacity planning across GPU servers, switches, and routing infrastructure. To mitigate stockout risk and deployment delays, operators typically implement demand forecasting, buffer inventory, and pre-deployment staging for multi-site rollouts.
- What compliance requirements most frequently delay cross-border fiber deployments in data centers? Fiber optic deployment in data centers can be delayed by inaccurate HS/tariff classification, destination-specific labeling, and country-of-origin rules, and the need for permits or certifications, depending on the market. A structured pre-compliance approach—regulatory review plus pre-shipment inspection—reduces customs holds and improves time-to-deploy.
- When should companies use an Importer of Record for data center hardware refresh programs? An Importer of Record (IOR) model is recommended when importing data center infrastructure into countries where the organization lacks a local legal entity, or when executing parallel deployments across multiple jurisdictions. Combining IOR with DDP door-to-door logistics standardizes customs clearance and reduces cross-border friction to accelerate expansion.
- How can last-mile logistics be optimized for fiber and server deployments at remote data center sites? Last-mile logistics for data centers often fails due to restricted site access, limited local infrastructure, and the handling requirements of high-value, sensitive equipment. Leveraging delivery assurance and white-glove services—including scheduled access, on-site coordination, controlled handling, placement in the designated technical room, and receipt verification—improves SLA adherence and reduces operational risk.
