Gen-i said it would partner with Christchurch International Airport and Canterbury-based Data Centre Design and Build Ltd to build the new data centre at the Christchurch airport.
The new Gen-i data centre would be built to the latest building code and seismic standards on a site at Perimeter Rd, chosen for its geological stability relative to the wider Christchurch area.
Mr Thomas said the significant commitment to Gen-i's infrastructure in the South Island extended the range of data-centre services the group could supply across the whole region.
"With increasing fibre speeds and lower costs, a prime data centre located in another city is a reality.
"Perhaps the greatest potential for the Christchurch data centre for Otago and Southland clients is the opportunity to have disaster recovery and backup located in another city within the South."
The new centre would expand Gen-i's existing nationwide network of 14 centres in cities and regional centres - including Dunedin - linked by fibre, copper and mobile networks. The centres were co-located in Telecom exchange buildings.
During the Canterbury earthquakes, Gen-i's data centres remained fully operational.
Mr Thomas said the inclusion of Christchurch would ensure "service resilience" at the highest level while simplifying access and management from a location perspective.
The fact the centre was being built based on experience from the Christchurch earthquakes ensured client infrastructure could be made with confidence, he said.
