D1 day in Darwin as NEXTDC opens new data centre in city

NEXTDC's D1 data centre in Darwin, on which construction started in November last year, has been officially opened.

Developed in partnership with Northern Territory Government and network operator Vocus, the facility has a target capacity of 7MW.

It has 3000 m² of technical IT space and 2000 m² of mission critical (MCX) space, and a 1000 rack capacity. 

A 100 per cent uptime is also specified for the data centre, which is said to be the first of its kind.

“NEXTDC’s D1 Darwin marks an exciting milestone for the Territory’s accelerating digital economy, providing numerous local and global organisations with mission critical infrastructure combined with access to global cloud platforms to drive and implement their digital growth strategies," Eva Lawler, the Northern Territory chief minister said.

“Northern Territory business and government will be able to significantly boost the capability of their current digital footprint, actively supporting our Digital Territory Action Plan to enable all Territorians to reach their potential and thrive in a digital economy,” Lawler added. 

D1 Darwin will support artificial intelligence technology, and host secure networking infrastructure for NT and the broader Asia-Pacific region, offering low latency accesss.

This includes Vocus Terabit Territory fibre network that's integrated within the data centre, connecting the network operator’s Darwin-Jakarta-Singapore Cable (DJSC) submarine system.

"This facility will enable organisations operating in the Northern Territory to embrace digital innovation and compete in new and dynamic growth markets across the APAC region," NEXTDC chief executive Craig Scroggie said.

“The close proximity to Darwin’s CBD and direct access to major subsea cable infrastructure will enable real-time responsiveness to operational and mission-critical requirements across all sectors, including government, mining, resources and defence industries," he added. 

Aussie Broadband, GLS Networks and NetVault are also involved as Foundational Partners in the Digital Development Program at D1 Darwin, to further expand and connect the NT digital economy to critical infrastructure in addition to a nationwide ecosystem of service providers and global cloud platforms.