LONDON: Google will invest US$1 billion (RM4.7 billion) on constructing a data centre simply exterior of London, the US know-how large stated on Thursday (Jan 18), in its newest funding in Britain because it meets rising demand for web companies in the area.
The data centre, situated on a 13-hectare (33-acre) website purchased by Google in 2020, might be situated in the city of Waltham Cross, about 24km (15 miles) north of central London, the Alphabet-owned firm stated in an announcement.
The British authorities, which is pushing for funding by companies to assist fund new infrastructure, significantly in development industries like know-how and synthetic intelligence, described Google’s funding as a “large vote of confidence” in the UK.
“Google’s US$1 billion funding is testomony to the truth that the UK is a centre of excellence in know-how and has large potential for development,” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated in the Google assertion.
The funding follows Google’s US$1 billion buy of a central London workplace constructing in 2022, shut to Covent Garden, and one other website in close by King’s Cross, the place it’s constructing a brand new workplace and the place its AI firm DeepMind can also be primarily based.
It additionally comes weeks after Microsoft unveiled plans to pump £2.5 billion (RM14.9 billion) into Britain over three years, together with in rising its data centre capability, to underpin future AI companies.
“This new data centre will assist meet rising demand for our AI and cloud companies and produce essential compute capability to companies throughout the UK whereas creating building and technical jobs,” Alphabet chief monetary officer Ruth Porat stated in the assertion.
Google, which employs over 7,000 individuals in Britain, additionally stated that waste warmth generated from the data centre could be a chance for vitality conservation that may profit the area people. – eNM
