Rostelecom launches the Russian Arctic’s first-ever data centre
Rostelecom has commissioned a data centre in Murmansk. The new data centre is the Company’s first infrastructure facility to be built in the Russian Arctic.
The anchor customer for the project was the Government of the Murmansk Region. An agreement to that effect was signed a year ago by the Region’s Governor Andrey Chibis and Rostelecom’s Vice President – Director of PJSC Rostelecom’s North-West Macroregional Branch Alexander Loginov.
“With digitalisation in full swing, the volume of data in use is steadily building up, and so are the requirements for data processing speed and quality. This is where the geographical proximity of data to the end user comes into play – which is exactly what Rostelecom’s new data centre offers. The new facility meets the high quality and reliability standards that we guarantee as the undisputed leader in the Russian data centre market”.
The Arctic data centre will cater for both regional authorities and businesses. Customers will be able to rent racks or rack spaces for their own equipment, taking advantage of a high-speed data network, cloud services and up-to-date digital services. Using co-location facilities helps centralise and optimise the cost of maintaining and servicing proprietary IT infrastructure while at the same time improving its reliability. The servers that receive data from traffic enforcement cameras were the first to go live at the new data centre.
“The newly built infrastructure will provide a firm foothold for high-paced digital development in the Murmansk Region. I am certain that the construction of this data centre in the Kola Arctic region will provide crucial impetus to the development of the entire Russian Arctic. Both commercial entities and government bodies are in need of reliable storage of, and easy access to, large amounts of information.”
Rostelecom’s Arctic data centre is fitted with state-of-the-art firefighting, air-conditioning and dispatch systems; security alarms; an access control system; and a backup diesel generator in case of power failure.
The regional data centre’s capacity is 20 racks, with a fast option to expand embedded in the project.