Reliance Globalcom Doubling Data Centre Ops

The global unit of India's Reliance Communications will more than double its data centre operations over the next 18 months, in a bid to compete with world leaders such as AT&T and BT, its CEO said today. Reliance Globalcom is planning to add 1 million square feet of new data centre space to complement its existing 600,000 square feet in India and 250,000 square feet outside the country, CEO Punit Garg told Reuters in an interview in Hong Kong.

"We should be adding half of that in the next six to seven months," he said. "The rest would be in the next 12 months after that." His unit, which now generates about $1.6 billion in annual revenue, or nearly a third of Reliance Communications' total, has notched breakneck growth in recent years as it leverages its Flag global cable network acquired earlier this decade to become a world player.

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That growth should remain brisk, but could slow somewhat from the rate of about 20 percent in the third quarter versus second quarter levels, Garg said. "I expect quarter-on-quarter high single-digit (growth) consistently," he said. "When I look at our backlog, I'm confident we'll continue with this story for at least the next four to six quarters." (Reuters)