OpenAI, Oracle and Vantage to build $15B Stargate data center in Wisconsin

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OpenAI, Oracle (ORCL.N), and Vantage Data Centers announced plans to develop a massive new data center campus in Port Washington, Wisconsin, as part of the multibillion-dollar Stargate initiative designed to keep the U.S. at the forefront of artificial intelligence infrastructure.

The Wisconsin site, named Lighthouse, is set for completion in 2028 and will create more than 4,000 skilled construction jobs, most of them union-based. Backed by Vantage’s $15 billion investment, the facility will be a core component of OpenAI and Oracle’s plan to deliver over 4.5 gigawatts of IT capacity nationwide.

Stargate—envisioned as a $500 billion, 10-gigawatt project—also includes Japan’s SoftBank Group (9984.T) and recently began work on its first AI data center in Abilene, Texas. The initiative aligns with President Donald Trump’s broader strategy to maintain U.S. dominance in advanced computing amid growing competition from China.

OpenAI and its primary backer Microsoft (MSFT.O) are among the major tech firms investing heavily in data centers to power generative AI systems such as ChatGPT and Copilot, both of which demand vast computing resources.

Once operational, the Lighthouse campus will anchor a growing network of Stargate sites being developed with Oracle, generating more than 1,000 long-term jobs and thousands of additional indirect roles in the region.

Vantage, supported by private equity firm Silver Lake and asset manager DigitalBridge (DBRG.N), will oversee the Port Washington buildout as part of its ongoing U.S. data center expansion. The companies said the project marks a crucial step toward meeting the exploding global demand for AI infrastructure.

Google unveils ‘Quantum Echoes’ algorithm, marking leap toward practical quantum computing

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Google has announced the creation of a groundbreaking quantum computing algorithm that could pave the way for real-world applications — from drug discovery to new materials research — and generate unique datasets for artificial intelligence.

The algorithm, dubbed Quantum Echoes, runs on Google’s quantum chip and performs calculations 13,000 times faster than the most advanced classical computing algorithms running on today’s supercomputers, the company said.

Executives from Alphabet’s (GOOGL.O) Google shared during a briefing that Quantum Echoes could one day help measure molecular structures with unprecedented precision, potentially revolutionizing chemistry, medicine, and materials science. “If I can’t tell you the data is correct, if I can’t prove to you the data is correct, how can I do anything with it?” said Google research scientist Tom O’Brien, highlighting that the algorithm’s outputs can be verified by other quantum computers or experiments — a key step toward real-world usability.

Quantum Echoes builds on Google’s Willow quantum chip, unveiled last year, which overcame one of the central challenges of quantum computing: maintaining stable and reliable “qubits,” the fragile quantum bits that store and process information. Company executives described the significance of the new algorithm as “roughly equivalent” to the chip itself.

Google joins a growing list of major tech firms — including Amazon (AMZN.O) and Microsoft (MSFT.O) — investing heavily in quantum computing as the technology races from theoretical promise toward commercial reality.

For artificial intelligence, Google engineers said Quantum Echoes could be used to create new, high-quality datasets for fields like life sciences, where usable data is scarce. The company detailed the breakthrough in the journal Nature on Wednesday, marking another milestone in the emerging era of quantum-enhanced computation.

AT&T Beats Subscriber Forecasts as iPhone Deals and Bundled Plans Boost Growth

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AT&T added more new wireless customers than expected in the third quarter, lifted by bundled service discounts and aggressive iPhone 17 promotions that helped it compete in a crowded U.S. telecom market. However, the company’s shares fell about 2% on Wednesday after slightly missing revenue estimates due to weaker equipment sales.

The September quarter is a key period for wireless carriers, coinciding with Apple’s annual iPhone release, when firms battle fiercely to win subscribers. AT&T rolled out generous trade-in offers and upgrade incentives to draw new users and push existing ones toward higher-tier plans.

The company reported 405,000 new postpaid wireless subscribers, surpassing FactSet’s estimate of 334,100, while equipment revenue from its mobility division rose 6.1% to $4.79 billion, slightly below Visible Alpha’s forecast of $4.93 billion. Operating costs climbed 3.8%, driven by pricier phones and heavier marketing expenses.

Analysts said the fourth quarter could see an even sharper rise in customer upgrades during the holiday season, pressuring profit margins. MoffettNathanson noted that “a normalization of upgrade rates” could increase churn and reduce average revenue per user (ARPU).

To retain customers, AT&T has leaned on its bundled fiber and wireless offerings, offering discounts to multi-service subscribers. The strategy is paying off: over 41% of AT&T’s fiber broadband customers now also use its mobile service, and broadband net additions of 558,000 marked the company’s best performance in over eight years.

Still, revenue from AT&T’s business wireline unit fell 7.8%, reflecting ongoing declines in legacy voice and data products.

On an adjusted basis, the company earned $0.54 per share, matching analyst expectations. Total revenue came in at $30.7 billion, just shy of the $30.87 billion forecast.

While the results highlight AT&T’s subscriber momentum, analysts warn that the coming upgrade surge could test the sustainability of its current growth strategy.