SINGTEL’S data centre arm, Nxera, and Telkom Malaysia (TM) on Thursday (Jul 25) broke ground for a data centre campus in Iskandar Puteri in Johor.
The campus will house a 65 megawatt (MW) data centre that will support artificial-intelligence processing and other computing needs. The facility is scheduled to begin commercial operations in 2026, and will be a Tier 3 data centre with redundant cooling and power to minimise downtime.
Bill Chang, chief executive officer of Nxera and Singtel’s Digital InfraCo unit, said: “When completed in 2026, the project, located within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, will boost high-quality digital infrastructure.”
The breaking of ground comes a month after Nxera and TM announced a joint venture to develop data centres in Malaysia.
The data centre can be scaled up to 200 MW in response to market demand. Its being near Singapore will enable customers to expand from Singapore and the rest of the region seamlessly. The data centre will also be designed with water- and energy-efficient solutions to meet long-term sustainability goals.
The joint venture plans to expand submarine cable connectivity to support the data centre.
Plans have also been drawn up to invest in talent for the data centre industry by working with universities on both sides of the Causeway. Comprehensive courses will be designed to provide Malaysian students with the knowledge and skills needed for a digital economy.
Amar Huzaimi Md Deris, TM’s chief executive officer, said: “This facility exemplifies our commitment to fostering industry growth, driving innovation, and enhancing socio-economic development.”
