What Trump Media’s Data Center Move Reveals About Tech Power Levers
The ownership of critical data centers often hides strategic levers that few notice. Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) quietly stores servers in a data center owned by the BERKS Group, the family office of the influential Bradley family of Missouri, exposing a key infrastructure dependency.
This facility, known as 1623 Farnam Road in Omaha, Nebraska, plays a central role in powering TMTG’s online platforms, including Truth Social and Truth+. But it’s the nature of that relationship and its ownership structure that reveals how infrastructural control translates to strategic advantage, especially in politically charged media.
More than a simple real estate play, this reveals a system where connectivity and control of internet “carrier hotels” create an uncommonly valuable constraint. Carrier hotels like 1623 Farnam are chokepoints for network interconnections, placing physical infrastructure in a rarefied tier of tech leverage often overlooked by conventional analysis.
“One could argue this is as important as power, sewer and water,” said Brian Bradley, president of NPG and part of the BERKS Group.
Conventional Wisdom Misreads Infrastructure as Commodity
Most see data centers as interchangeable commodities vendors lease out without strategic consequence. This view misses how limited supply and geographic clustering create deep leverage for owners of carrier hotels.
Unlike cloud giants such as Microsoft or Amazon who build sprawling ecosystems, TMTG’s use of 1623 Farnam reveals a framework reliant on long-established, concentrated internet exchange points controlled by legacy media investors.
This is a classic case of constraint repositioning, where infrastructure choice shifts operational risk and competitive boundaries in ways most operators overlook.
Carrier Hotels: The Silent Backbone of Internet Leverage
Carrier hotels provide physical hubs where multiple independent networks meet, enabling the internet’s fragmented architecture to function effectively. They are scarce and strategically located in major urban centers.
1623 Farnam is one such hub, serving as a critical node for TMTG’s content delivery and connectivity. Unlike hyperscale clouds that vertically integrate everything from hardware to software, TMTG’s reliance on regional, privately owned carrier hotels exposes a different kind of network leverage grounded in locality and ownership concentration.
This contrasts with giants like Google or Meta, who control both the platform and much of their underlying infrastructure — a control TMTG is still building.
The proprietary content delivery network powering Truth+ was introduced through vendors connected to these infrastructure hubs, illustrating how layered partnerships create techno-political leverage that can’t be unraveled simply by scaling software.
Family Office Control Signals Strategic Positioning Over Pure Technology
The Bradley family, with roots in traditional media through News-Press & Gazette Company, transitioned into tech infrastructure investments with the BERKS Group. Their stewardship of 1623 Farnam leverages decades of media and political capital.
The family’s bipartisan political donations and history of conservative media investments show how governance and financing entwine with infrastructure. This network of relationships reveals leverage that goes beyond technology into sustained operational and political influence.
Unlike tech unicorns that rely on venture-backed capital and open markets, the familial control of such a vital piece of infrastructure allows for a rare, durable competitive moat.
What This Means for Digital Media Operators and Strategic Investors
TMTG’s data center choices expose the strategic constraint of physical connectivity points as a foundational layer of tech leverage, not mere backend plumbing.
Operators scaling online platforms must prioritize control or access to carrier hotels and regional hubs to build systems resilient to external control or cancellation pressures. This repositions infrastructure ownership as a core competitive asset.
Media companies and political actors who recognize this structural truth will unlock durable leverage by investing in or partnering with family-controlled carrier hotels or similar infrastructure owners.
“Infrastructure ownership now underpins digital influence—those who control the connection points control leverage,” summarizes why this matters.
For a broader view on how tech systems expose structural risks and opportunities, see our analysis on 2024 tech layoffs and leverage constraints and how OpenAI scaled ChatGPT to 1 billion users by similarly managing systemic constraints.
Related Tools & Resources
As businesses navigate the complex landscape of digital media and strategic infrastructure, tools like Hyros become essential for understanding and improving marketing performance. By integrating advanced ad tracking and attribution, Hyros enables operators to manage their digital strategies effectively, ensuring they harness the same leverage discussed in the article for competitive advantage. Learn more about Hyros →
Full Transparency: Some links in this article are affiliate partnerships. If you find value in the tools we recommend and decide to try them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend tools that align with the strategic thinking we share here. Think of it as supporting independent business analysis while discovering leverage in your own operations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the significance of Trump Media & Technology Group's data center location?
TMTG uses the 1623 Farnam Road data center in Omaha, Nebraska, owned by the BERKS Group, revealing how control of carrier hotels creates strategic technological leverage.
What are carrier hotels and why are they important?
Carrier hotels are physical hubs where multiple independent networks meet. They are scarce and provide critical chokepoints for network interconnections, enabling companies like TMTG to leverage connectivity.
Who owns the data center that powers TMTG’s platforms?
The data center at 1623 Farnam Road is owned by the BERKS Group, the family office of the Bradley family from Missouri, who have a history in media and political investments.
How does family ownership impact infrastructure strategy?
The Bradley family’s control through the BERKS Group uses decades of media and political capital, creating a durable competitive moat beyond pure technology for TMTG’s infrastructure dependency.
How does TMTG’s infrastructure differ from cloud giants like Microsoft or Amazon?
Unlike hyperscale cloud providers, TMTG relies on long-established, concentrated internet exchange points controlled by legacy media investors, emphasizing locality and ownership concentration.
What is constraint repositioning in the context of tech infrastructure?
Constraint repositioning refers to how infrastructure choices shift operational risk and competitive boundaries, as seen with TMTG’s strategic use of 1623 Farnam’s carrier hotel facilities.
Why should media companies invest in carrier hotels?
Investing or partnering with family-controlled carrier hotels offers durable leverage by controlling physical connectivity points, which underpin digital influence and system resilience against external pressures.
What role does the BERKS Group play in TMTG’s online platform?
The BERKS Group provides critical infrastructure via its ownership of 1623 Farnam Road data center, a central node ensuring connectivity and content delivery for platforms like Truth Social and Truth+.