China Mobile Expands Hohhot Intelligent Computing Center

China Mobile, China's largest telecommunications operator, has finalized an expansion of its intelligent computing center in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. The completed project makes the facility the world's largest single intelligent computing center operated by a telecommunications company, boasting a total computing power of 20,100 petaflops.

The expansion, undertaken by China Construction Third Engineering Bureau, involved a contract worth 2.7 billion yuan (approximately $370 million USD) and covers an area of about 44,500 square meters. The data center's total IT power capacity is 120 megawatts. Upon full operation, it is designated as a core node within China's "East Data West Computing" initiative, aimed at optimizing data processing and storage across the country.

Ninety percent of the computing power generated at the Hohhot center is allocated to serve the major metropolitan areas of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei. The facility's low latency, with a transmission delay of 3.5 milliseconds to Beijing, is designed to meet the demand for high-speed computing from enterprises in these regions. The center utilizes renewable energy for 88% of its power consumption, leveraging the abundant wind and solar resources of Inner Mongolia.

This development is part of China Mobile's broader strategy to build a nationwide computing network. The Hohhot center employs advanced cooling technologies, including direct liquid cooling, and achieves a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.15, indicating high energy efficiency. The company aims to significantly reduce carbon emissions through these green initiatives.