---
title: Data Center and ISP Guide
slug: data-center-and-isp-guide
description: How node providers should approach selecting a data center and an ISP — distributing across countries, gathering quotes, and finalizing a colocation contract.
tags:
  - node-provider
  - data-center
  - infrastructure
  - decentralization
date: 2026-05-04
related:
  - node-provider-documentation
  - decentralization-and-security
  - node-networking-guide
  - node-provider-legal-guide
---

A node provider chooses both the data center that physically hosts each
rack and the ISP that connects it to the internet. The selection
matters: spreading across countries and across data centers strengthens
the network's overall decentralization, and the provider's contract
with the facility is part of the documentation submitted with their
self-declaration.

## What is required

There are currently no mandatory technical certifications required of
the data center itself. The principal requirement is that the data
center's physical location is verifiable, so that the network's
geographic-distribution rules can be enforced.

That said, distributing nodes across multiple countries and data
centers is strongly preferred. Acceptance criteria favor applicants
who add geographic and operational diversity rather than replicate it.

## A workable seven-step process

The upstream guide recommends the following sequence when selecting a
new site.

1. **Pick a country that needs coverage.** Use the world map on the
   [IC dashboard](https://dashboard.internetcomputer.org/) to identify
   countries with no — or few — nodes, and prioritize deployment there.
2. **Pick a data center that adds diversity.** Check the dashboard's
   data center page for regional options, and prefer providers that are
   not already hosting Internet Computer nodes.
3. **Request data center quotes.** Ask each candidate facility for
   their **Monthly Recurring Costs (MRC)** for colocation and their
   **Non-Recurring Costs (NRC)** for setup.
4. **Request ISP quotes.** Separately, gather ISP quotes for the
   bandwidth required (see
   [Networking Guide](/wiki/node-networking-guide/) for the per-node
   figure), again broken into MRC and NRC.
5. **Visit the most promising sites in person** when feasible. A site
   visit catches problems that paper specifications never reveal —
   physical security, cable management, on-site staff competence.
6. **Run the financial analysis.** Combine the data-center and ISP
   quotes with the
   [Node Provider Remuneration](/wiki/node-provider-remuneration/) model
   to determine the optimal number of nodes for the site.
7. **Secure a provisional contract.** Obtain a provisional data-center
   contract; the contract acts as supporting evidence in the
   [Node Provider Self-declaration](/wiki/node-provider-self-declaration/).

## Operational fit

Beyond price, the data center should also satisfy the operational rules
covered in the
[Decentralization and Security Guide](/wiki/decentralization-and-security/):

- Local enough that the provider can inspect it regularly.
- Not controlled by a global corporation whose failure would take down
  multiple regions at once.
- Staffed by personnel the provider can vet — ideally local hires the
  provider knows directly.

## Related

- [Node Provider Documentation](/wiki/node-provider-documentation/)
- [Decentralization and Security Guide](/wiki/decentralization-and-security/)
- [Node Provider Networking Guide](/wiki/node-networking-guide/)
- [Node Provider Legal Guide](/wiki/node-provider-legal-guide/)