With 2.19 billion monthly active users (as of 2018), Facebook is the third-busiest site on the internet. Facebook built an extensive infrastructure to support this already massive and still growing user base. The social network was launched in February 2004, initially out of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s dorm room at Harvard University using a single server. Today, the company’s servers are now housed in numerous gigantic data centers around the world. Most recently, Facebook is building a new data center in Fort Worth, TX. According to Facebook, "when it's finished, the Fort Worth facility will be one of the most advanced data centers in the world, featuring the latest in Open Compute server, storage, and network designs."
Our Programs Manager, Elizabeth Thresher Garner, was able to tour the new Facebook Data Center that is scheduled to complete in July 2020. What's interesting is to walk from one end of the building to another is a quarter of a mile, and it takes 32,000 miles of network cabling for one data center. "Data centers are a central part of Facebook's global infrastructure, making it possible to deliver our family of apps and services to billions of people." (Facebook) Mike Kroeger of DPR construction gave Elizabeth's tour. "It was so cool and exciting," said Elizabeth.
What's even more exciting is Facebook is working with one of our WBEs. Richochet Fuel is a supplier for the project and Facebook sourced, our member, Wynne Transportation for transportation from the hotel to the construction site. The building of the new data center is proving to be great opportunities for the DFW area.
