Japan's IIJ will supply four micro data centers (MDCs) to Ukraine.

These will be provided to two unnamed Ukrainian major infrastructure providers, with IIJ personnel verifying the performance of the MDCs “in a real operational environment as well as confirming their market potential.”

The MDCs are being provided as part of the Project for Promoting Private Sector Participation in Ukraine’s Reconstruction by Japan’s development assistance agency, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

IIJ, otherwise known as Internet Initiative Japan, is a publicly traded, non-state-owned telco.

The project was announced on August 28, 2024, and forms part of a broader reconstruction plan that was announced on February 19, 2024, at the Japan-Ukraine Conference for Promotion of Economic Growth and Reconstruction.

One unit each of the indoor-optimized DX edge Pro will be provided to a telecoms service provider in two cities. The unit will serve as a backup system providing geographical redundancy.

Additionally, two units of the DX edge Hut, which is intended for outdoor usage, will be provided to an electric power infrastructure service provider and will be used to monitor electrical substation operation.

Deployment locations were not specified.

Connectivity in Ukraine has dropped significantly since renewed Russian attacks on the nation's grid. Outage tracker NetBlocks said in November 2024 that "metrics show a significant decline in Internet connectivity in multiple regions of Ukraine," with more than a million people left without power due to coordinated drone and missile strikes.

IIJ also stated in a press release that it would “pass along to the local service providers the necessary expertise and technology for MDC operation and maintenance, while also seeking to determine local needs for the MDC and its marketability, with an eye to establishing a foothold for future business development.”

Founded in 1992, IIJ was Japan’s first ISP. It operates around 17 locations in Japan and five more internationally.

IIJ also offers modular container and micro data center (MDC) services, the latter in partnership with ZellaDC. They operate MDCs in Japan, one in Iceland, and have explored the possibility of deploying another in Kenya.