New Virtual Data Center Goes Live Beyond the Arctic Circle
Hosting provider RUVDS has launched a new virtual data center in Murmansk, built on infrastructure provided by Rostelecom. The project aims to support private, commercial, and public sector users engaged in Arctic development and the Northern Sea Route.
Strategic Infrastructure for the Arctic
The Arctic holds enormous strategic value for Russia. The region is home to vast reserves of oil, gas, and rare earth elements, and serves as a key location for climate, biology, and geology research. It is also traversed by the Northern Sea Route—the shortest path between Asia and Europe. But tapping into these resources requires robust infrastructure, including digital capabilities to handle and process vast volumes of data.
RUVDS’s new platform in Murmansk is based on the Arctic data center built by national telecom operator Rostelecom. The virtual facility will serve individuals, enterprises, and public institutions involved in Arctic development. In the long term, it could also support international clients, depending on geopolitical conditions.
Arctic-Proven Technology
“We believe our new platform will play a vital role in the region’s development and boost its appeal to investors across industries—from mining and logistics to IT and public administration,” said RUVDS CEO Nikita Tsaplin. “We’re not newcomers to this environment. Last year, RUVDS successfully tested hardware at the North Pole. We’re now full-fledged players in the Arctic.”
The platform’s reliability is underpinned by a top-tier power supply system, including a 220 kW diesel generator and dual redundant internet connections. High-speed data transmission is ensured by high-bandwidth communication channels for seamless operation.
Proven Experience and Global Reach
The Murmansk facility is RUVDS’s 18th platform. Ten are located across Russia, and another seven operate internationally. The provider has extensive experience deploying infrastructure in remote areas. In June 2023, RUVDS launched a virtual data center in Vladivostok, housed in a facility operated by Porttelecom—one of the Far East’s largest telecom providers.
The service in Vladivostok caters to both Russian and neighboring international clients, offering regional connectivity benefits.
The Value of Virtual Data Centers
Virtual data centers enable companies to deploy IT infrastructure without investing in physical hardware. Built on cloud technology, these systems offer virtualized computing power, storage, and networking. They’re flexible, cost-effective, and scalable—ideal for fast-growing digital environments.
Security is ensured through resource isolation, data encryption, multi-factor authentication, and built-in network policies. Virtual data centers have gained momentum across the Urals, Siberia, and the Russian Far East. But Arctic deployment is only beginning due to the region’s extreme climate.
The new Arctic platform could serve as a launchpad for expanding digital infrastructure across northern cities like Arkhangelsk and Norilsk. It may also pave the way for exporting data center technologies to support navigation and logistics along the Northern Sea Route.
