Rostelecom plans underground data centers in abandoned Russian coal mines

Rostelecom, a Russian telecommunications provider, is planning to construct data centers within abandoned coal mines to protect digital infrastructure from potential attacks and serious threats. This strategy aims to enhance security for strategic facilities amidst ongoing conflicts.

The proposal includes a three-tier protection model: building backup facilities for data recovery, dispersing computing capacity across various geographic locations to avoid centralization, and constructing underground data centers to mitigate the most severe threat scenarios.

Rostelecom Chairman Mikhail Oseevsky noted that the Russian data center market is shifting due to physical security concerns and power access requirements. Future developments may focus on reducing energy consumption and potentially utilizing nuclear power. Experts have noted that while underground facilities are not a new concept, implementation must account for specific geological conditions and site-related risks.