ST Telemedia data centre in Tokyo achieves TIA-942-C certification

ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC) has announced that its first data centre facility in Japan, STT Tokyo 1, has achieved the TIA-942-C Design Certification. This certification is an updated version of the globally recognised data centre infrastructure standard, establishing the data centre as one of the first in the world to comply with these new guidelines.

STT Tokyo 1 attained Rated-3 certification for its design documents under the revised TIA-942-C standard. The revision to standard C was completed in early May 2024. Key updates to the certification include improvements focused on sustainability and climate change, upgraded cabling infrastructure requirements, new measures to support higher rack power densities for advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), guidelines aimed at minimising the probability of human error leading to data centre outages, and an enhanced focus on safety protocols.

The design of STT Tokyo 1 also adhered to the guidelines of the Japan Data Centre Council (JDCC), which are significant for local customers in Japan. This added compliance ensures that the facility meets both international and local industry standards.

Daniel Pointon, Group Chief Technology Officer of ST Telemedia Global Data Centres, commented on the achievement, stating, "We see great opportunity in the AI boom for data centre operators like STT GDC to supplement the already thriving market for public cloud data centres. Being able to address the infrastructure prerequisites demanded by both traditional cloud and high-performance accelerated computing workloads, while continually advancing reliability and sustainable energy practices, presents us with a generational opportunity to redefine the infrastructure that is foundational to our digital future."

Pointon further highlighted the importance of such certifications, saying, "We put enormous effort into deploying and operating consistently high-quality infrastructure globally and are pleased to bring important international standards, such as TIA-942-C, to the Japan market. Such certifications are a validation of our own in-house design and operation standards which we have refined over a decade in business to uphold the highest levels of data centre reliability."

Data centres are essential for ensuring the safety, functionality, and reliability of digital services. The rapid adoption of AI has led to significantly higher computational demands. Coupled with the substantial data volumes required for applications like model training, this increase in demand is forcing data centre operators to reconsider their approach to design and delivery of the immense compute, storage, and networking capabilities needed for these advanced AI applications.

Slated to open in the first half of 2024, STT Tokyo 1 is the initial building in ST Telemedia Global Data Centres' new campus within Goodman Business Park in Inzai City, located in the Greater Tokyo area. The entire campus will support up to 70 megawatts of IT capacity, with the STT Tokyo 1 facility alone supporting up to 32 megawatts when fully operational.

The latest TIA-942-C certification benchmarks serve to reinforce STT GDC’s commitment to high operational standards, ensuring that their facilities not only meet but exceed evolving industry demands. This accomplishment signals a significant step forward for the company, particularly in addressing the growing requirements of modern data-intensive technologies and applications.