Finland Data Center Construction Announced By TeliaSonera

Major Scandinavian telecommunications company TeliaSonera announced in mid-June that it plans to build the largest Finland data center to date.

TeliaSonera is the largest operator of fixed-voice, broadband and mobile networks in the region. The company has a strong wholesale network, but isn't as capable with its IT infrastructure. TeliaSonera hopes the new Helsinki data center will satisfy its customers' growing demands for cloud and colocation services in the area.

Finland is an ideal location for data centers, as the country provides access to low cost electricity and has a naturally cool climate suitable for free-air cooling. TeliaSonera plans to utilize data center sustainability measures within the Helsinki facility, using 100 percent renewable energy to power the site and setting up recycling measures for the building's waste heat.

The Finland data center will offer an initial capacity of 30 MW, with the ability to increase to 100 MW in the future. The new facility is expected to cost between $148 million and $170 million to construct and will begin offering services to Finish businesses at the end of 2017.

Valdur Laid, CEO of TeliaSonera Finland, compared the company's new site to a facility belonging to Google in the nearby city of Hamina and the role the data center played in creating economic opportunities for the country.

"From the point of view of Finland's economy, this is a very important project," said Laid. "Digitalization plays a key role when we want to improve profitability and data centers form the foundation for the global digital infrastructure. It is important that this infrastructure is located within Finland's boundaries and that the welfare it generates stays in Finland."

Brought to you by WiredRE, the nation's leading cloud, colocation, and data center advisory firm.