Facebook to build its first data center in Asia, to be located at Singapore

As governments the world over including in India aim to store data of their people within their boundaries, Facebook on Friday announced to build its first data center in Asia that will be located in Singapore.

The 170,000-square-metre data center will be built with more than 1.4 billion Singapore dollars (over $1 billion), opening hundreds of job opportunities.

"We are excited to announce that Facebook's first custom-built data center in Asia will be located in Singapore. It will support hundreds of jobs and form part of our growing presence in Singapore and across Asia," Facebook said in a statement.

Facebook's data centers are currently located across the US and in Europe.

In India, a government panel is currently working on the guidelines to ensure that data generated locally must be stored within the country.

The social media giant said it selected Singapore for robust infrastructure and access to fiber, a talented local workforce, and a great set of community partners, including the Singapore Economic Development Board.

"Singapore has also established policies that foster a business-friendly environment, including measures that support the enforcement of contracts and increase the ease of construction permitting," Facebook said.

The World Bank recently named Singapore as the top country in Asia to do business.

The Singapore data center will be the first to incorporate the new "StatePoint Liquid Cooling" system.

This technology minimizes water and power consumption and can reduce the amount of peak water used by 20 percent in climates like Singapore's, said Facebook.

The 11-storey facility will be powered by 100 percent renewable energy, Facebook added.