China Mobile plans facility in San Jose

China Mobile Communications Corp, the world’s largest mobile carrier by subscribers, has submitted a proposal to build a large data center and connecting office in Silicon Valley.

China Mobile International Ltd, the company’s Hong Kong-based subsidiary, filed an application for a special use permit with the city of San Jose, California, on Oct 3, which currently remains under initial review, according to Cassandra van der Zweep, a San Jose urban planner.

The permit would allow the demolition of existing on-site buildings and the construction of a two-story, 20,180square-meter data center with a connecting five-story, 6,040-sq-m office building, van der Zweep said. The existing facility on the plot covers 15,000 sq m.

According to Santa Clara county records, China Mobile International Infrastructure Inc purchased the property from Westcore Properties for $11.34 million on Jan 31.

China Mobile International Ltd did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The new project will be constructed in one phase on a site of approximately 3 hectares, and the office component will house approximately 200 employees, according to the application.

Under the local Public Outreach Policy, the project would be considered a “large development proposal”, as it is involves over 100,000 square feet of office and industrial facilities, so a community meeting and a public hearing would be held if the application proceeds, van der Zweep said.

The company is currently hiring facilities engineers specializing in data center design, construction and operations, according to social media platform LinkedIn.

In June, Beijing-based China Mobile announced a plan to build a globally leading fifth-generation network by combining 5G mobile communication technology with artificial intelligence and cloud technology.