Rostelecom plans underground data centers with three protection tiers

The second level spreads computing capacity and services across several geographically separated sites, so that the loss of one location does not take down the whole system.

The third level is the construction of underground data centers. A Rostelecom senior executive described such facilities as the most protected data center format under consideration.

Talks with Nornickel

Rostelecom is currently negotiating with mining and metals group Nornickel on creating an underground data center, a source close to the talks said. No further details of the project were given.

The company reportedly sets the parameters of each facility according to the needs of the specific customer and the customer's financial capabilities. That suggests the protection level will not be uniform: clients will choose between a backup site, distributed computing or a fully underground facility depending on budget and risk tolerance.

Why it matters

For businesses that depend on continuous access to data, physical resilience is becoming a selling point alongside capacity and price. Underground sites are the most expensive end of that spectrum, so they are likely to appeal mainly to large industrial customers with critical systems.

The plans are still at the discussion stage. Neither a construction timetable nor investment figures have been disclosed, and the Nornickel talks have not produced an announced agreement.