Vertiv, a global provider of critical digital infrastructure and continuity solutions, announced that it has been selected by Unified National Networks (UNN) Sdn Bhd., a state-owned telecom infrastructure services provider in Brunei Darussalam, to design and construct its data centre facility to support the nation’s digitisation efforts. With an estimated construction time frame of 10 months, UNN’s phase 1 prefab data centre facility is expected to open in January 2024.
 
The 51,000 square feet data centre complex will be situated in Kampong Tungku and is slated to begin construction in April 2023. Vertiv was selected to fulfil the first phase of the project, which will consist of 200 racks to support UNN’s goal of establishing a state-of-the-art data centre facility in line with Brunei’s digitisation roadmap. The prefab data centre designed by Vertiv for UNN will be housed in a combination of completed and flat pack modules and designed according to Uptime Institute’s Data Centre Standards for electrical (Tier IV) and mechanical (Tier III). The prefab data centre will also contain Vertiv’s state-of-the-art solutions, including the modular Vertiv™ Liebert® APT integrated power system, the Vertiv™ Powerbar iMPB busbar system, and thermal management solutions, among others.

 
Signing ceremony between UNN and Vertiv

UNN was established in 2018 to manage Brunei’s digital telecommunication infrastructure. It offers wholesale telecommunication services to both national and international clients and supports Brunei Vision 2035, a developmental framework formulated in 2004 by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, which aims to develop a dynamic and sustainable economy in Brunei, backed by the widespread implementation of technology across key sectors.
 
Upon construction completion, UNN’s prefab data centre will have the capacity to enable all government agencies in Brunei to house their IT infrastructure at the complex. In line with this, UNN opted for a solution that was quick to deploy, install and set-up. They chose Vertiv’s prefabricated modular data centre as opposed to the traditional brick-and-mortar design owing to its speed, scalability, flexibility and modularity.
 
“In this case, the benefits of a prefabricated modular data centre design certainly outweigh that of traditional brick-and-mortar approaches. By compressing time-consuming processes such as distinct engineering, site preparation, installation and start-up, a prefab design has the manufacturing efficiency advantage, with the ability to bring a facility online by as much as 30% faster than traditional builds. This is especially important for a customer like UNN who is looking to deploy fast and scale with agility,” said Danny Wong, senior director of telecom sales at Vertiv Asia.
 
“After evaluating several vendors, Vertiv is the most suitable vendor to meet our design and technical requirements. We have evaluated the benefits of a prefab design and believe that this is the best approach that meets our vision at UNN. We look forward to working with Vertiv for this massive data centre project,” said Nurul Hayati Mohammad Zabidi, head of procurement from UNN.
 
“Not only are prefab data centres faster and more efficient to build than traditional approaches,  they also meet UNN’s desire to increase efficiency and reduce emissions. We are pleased to be selected by UNN for this project – the first prefab data centre deployment for Vertiv in Brunei. Vertiv and UNN are fully committed to working together to achieve Brunei’s goal of becoming a digital economy digital transformation,” said Teoh Wooi Keat, country manager, Vertiv Malaysia.
 
“UNN is embarking on a giant leap in its digital vision with the construction of one of the most advanced data centres in South East Asia. Our 200-racks cutting-edge facility is a critical step in Brunei's mission to become a leader in digital innovation and establish itself as a key player in the region,” said Daniele Cuocci, senior vice president of data centre & IT from UNN. “Designed to the highest standards, our new data centre is equipped with the latest technology and redundant systems to ensure maximum uptime and reliability. It will have the capacity to host a wide range of mission-critical applications and services, from financial services to healthcare and government services as well as enabling the future onboarding of low latency gaming and cloud services.”
 
To learn more about Vertiv’s prefab data centre solutions and other offerings, visit Vertiv.com.