Google Starts Construction on New Data Center Near Santiago, Chile

BY STAFF REPORT

US technology giant Google has set about building a data center in Quilicura, a small town barely a few minutes’ drive from the Chilean capital Santiago.

Google hopes to ‘bring the center online’ by the end of 2013, speeding up access to all its web services for users across Latin America. Once the data center is up and running, Google will hire 20 employees and donate funds to organizations and initiatives dedicated to providing science & technology education and reducing carbon emission.

The data center is likely to cost Google $150 million but will be ‘the most efficient and environmentally friendly’ in Latin America, the Internet megafirm stated in a blog post.

Google’s search engine is rising in popularity in Latin America, and, analysts say, a big part of the attraction is based on the launch of news and entertainment services in Spanish.

Google has about eight data centers in the United States and is currently building many more centers in Asian business hubs, such as Singapore and Hong Kong.

In September 2012, Google announced for the first time its plan to build a data center in Chile, now it has confirmed that the construction had begun.

“Through grant-making and local initiatives that utilize our tools and expertise, we will be working in Quilicura to help businesses and educational institutions,” Google said.