The tech giant Google has taken a significant step in its expansion in Latin America by starting the construction of its new data center in Uruguay. This project marks an important milestone in the region’s digital infrastructure and strengthens Uruguay’s position as an emerging tech hub.
Details of the project:
– Location: Canelones, Uruguay
– Investment: Over 850 million dollars
– Land: 30 hectares in the Parque de las Ciencias, a free trade zone
Background and planning:
Google acquired the land in May 2021, after announcing its initial plans in 2020. The project, originally known as “Project Teros,” has gone through several phases of planning and adaptation.
Modifications to the original plan:
In November 2022, Google confirmed that it would proceed with modified plans for the development, in response to concerns about the potential use of water in a context of severe droughts in the country:
– The initial project considered a use of up to 7.6 million liters of potable water daily.
– The revised version is smaller in scale and adopts an air cooling system.
Regional context:
This will be Google’s second data center in Latin America, following the one opened in Chile in 2015. The company currently operates 28 data centers in 11 countries globally.
Additional infrastructure in the region:
– Google maintains a cloud region in São Paulo, Brazil.
– It is developing the Firmina submarine cable, which will connect South Carolina (USA) with Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay.
– It already operates the Tannat cable in partnership with Antel Uruguay.
Impact on the Uruguayan tech landscape:
The arrival of Google represents a qualitative leap for Uruguay’s digital infrastructure:
– Currently, the country has only seven colocation facilities, all operated by local companies.
– Six of these facilities are in Montevideo and one in Maldonado.
– Google is the first large-scale cloud provider to announce facilities in Uruguay.
Future outlook:
The construction of this data center will not only improve Google’s ability to serve its customers in the region but could also attract more investments in technology and digital infrastructure to Uruguay.
This project strengthens Google’s commitment to Latin America and positions Uruguay as a strategic point on the global tech map. It remains to be seen how this development will influence the local and regional tech ecosystem in the years to come.