Ncell investing Rs 2.25b on four data centers
KATHMANDU, May 26:
Nell has unveiled plan to invest around €20 million (Rs 2.25 billion) to set up four new data centers. The private mobile operator has said the set up was part of its disaster preparedness management project and that the total cost of the project would be much higher.
The data centers will work as a complete back up system with redundant data communications connections. Two of the centers are expected to come into operation by the end of this year.
Ncell CEO Pasi Koistinen said the company was establishing two identical data centers in Matatirtha of Kathmandu and Biratnagar. The data centers will be 200 km apart. He said the identical data centers will also be established in Hetauda and Pokhara.
Tomas Bhose, land and building manager of Ncell, said the data centers would function as back up site, redundant site and mirror site for the operator. The centers provide data recovery services in case the operator lost data. Similarly, it can function as a redundant site by providing alternative network in case the network switch is down. It also supports remote data mirroring.
According to Ncell officials, the cost of land and building for data centers at Kathmandu and Biratnagar is estimated at €15 million. Similarly, the operator is investing €5 million for land and building at Pokhara and Hetauda centers.
Ncell currently has data centers in Pokhara and Jawalakhel. It plans to shut down both the centers after the data are transferred to the new centers.
Officials of Ncell claimed that the new locations were safer geographically and that they will be energy-efficient.
Besides, the company is also bringing cell on wheels (COW) into operation by the end of this year. COW is a mobile cell site consisting Base Transceiver Station (BTS) on a vehicle.
Koisitinen said Ncell is bringing into operation five such vehicles that will work as backup system for the operator in case of natural disasters. “Each COW will have the capacity of 100 calls per second,” he added.
