Iceland's Data Center Push Finally Gets Traction

miller60 writes "Iceland is poised for the completion of its first major international data center project, after years of marketing itself as a potential data center mecca. Iceland offers an ample supply of geothermal energy and an ideal environment for fresh air cooling, but its ambitions were slowed by the global financial collapse. But now the huge UK charity Wellcome Trust has provided funding to complete a new data center in a former NATO facility in Keflavik."

Improvements to network connectivity

[kilf]

It wasn't that long ago that Iceland's only internet access line went via a Scottish high-street that was getting dug up repeatedly, with the inevitable consequences:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/28/iceland_without_broadband/ [theregister.co.uk]

Re:What is the bandwith to iceland anyways?

[Dragoniz3r]

If wiki is to be believed, 3 x 2.5gbit/sec (List of Transatlantic cables [wikipedia.org] and The one that makes a stop in Iceland [wikipedia.org])

Re:What is the bandwith to iceland anyways?

[JReykdal]

If wiki is to be believed, 3 x 2.5gbit/sec (List of Transatlantic cables [wikipedia.org] and The one that makes a stop in Iceland [wikipedia.org])

FARICE-1 is 720Gbits
DANICE-1 is 5.1Tbits
Greenland Connect is 96*10Gbits

CANTAT-3 is old and obsolete.

Re:Hilarious editors

[helgihg]

"Bandwidth is one, another is how much extra does it cost to design a facility to be more resistant to earthquakes as the vulcanization that offers those benefits of abundant geothermal power also means there is seismic instability." While a perfectly legitimate concern, bandwidth is not a problem. Neither is the seismic activity. Any serious seismic activity is well mapped out and building for it hasn't been a problem since we crawled out of the caves (which admittedly was only around 1900). In my opinion, the earthquakes are outright fun, and we know well where the earthquake danger zones are. Start worrying if you hear that they want to build it around Selfoss. ;) I'm born raised in Iceland but currently live in Canada and I've spent a year in Finland, and I can absolutely, positively guarantee you that the tech guru population per capita in Iceland is drastically higher than in either one of those. Even though the Finns are generally geeks... and I mean that in a good way obviously. Frankly, I think lack of geek skills in Iceland are not a problem for this particular project, and besides, the worst case scenario is that it won't be as monstrously huge as otherwise. Of course I'm biased, I can only promise you that I'd tell you if I thought it were a problem. I suppose the biggest problem would be the controversy over the energy it would require. Even though we are extremely lucky for how cheap electricity is in Iceland, there is also the counter-view that nature is to be preserved and therefore not exploited... even though it's the most nature-friendly way of producing electricity imaginable... okay, let's not get into politics. ;) Honestly, I think that would be the biggest problem. Dealing with the politics.

Re:WikiLeaks & Iceland's Legislation

[Anonymous Coward]

The youtube video [youtube.com] should be linked in the summary.

Re:WikiLeaks & Iceland's Legislation

[TapeCutter]

Their banking problems have nothing to do with their local economy. Capital has already been flooding into Iceland. These datacenters are chicken feed compared to Alcoa moving their aluminum smelters to the island.

They are selling themselves as the clean energy capital of the world and doing a pretty good job of it. I'm pretty sure the locals want a slice of Alcoa pie in the form of tax.

Impact of geology

[Beryllium Sphere(tm)]

A friend of mine worked on an earlier attempt to locate a data center in Iceland. They mapped out a place somewhere on the west side that they believed to be seismically stable.

Volcanoes are scary though. You can build miles away from them and still get your HVAC clogged if the wind blows ash your way.

Re:WikiLeaks & Iceland's Legislation

[Fluffeh]

The youtube video [youtube.com] should be linked in the summary.

Mod this Anon Post up. It's at 0 now and it's amazingly informative.

Re:Eastern Canada then?

[WalksOnDirt]

Aluminum is being smelted in Iceland. The primary power source is hydroelectric, though.

Re:WikiLeaks & Iceland's Legislation

[YeeHaW_Jelte]

"The sums that the Icelandic government was responsible for legally (approx 20k euros per account holder) was paid back in 2008."

The money needed to pay up this guarantee was forked over by the UK and NL governments, not by Iceland. This was done in the form of a loan to the Icelandic government and it's this money both governments are claiming back.

Please inform yourself before blurting out nonsense, even if as AC.

Re:Eastern Canada then?

[akarnid]

There are actually two aluminum smelters in Iceland.

Re:What is the bandwith to iceland anyways?

[Anonymous Coward]

Right! That would be just stupid. Let's find somewhere geologically stable, like the SF bay area for example, and headquarter as many tech companies there as possible, so they'll be safe.