Equinix, the world's digital infrastructure company, announced its second data center in Barcelona as the city becomes a strategic hub for the terrestrial and subsea cable networks connecting digital lives. In addition, the new site will serve as a strategic connection point for data communications between Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Also Read: WIOCC Lands 2Africa Subsea Cable System in Kwazulu-Natal
Barcelona, a vital Subsea hub
Major subsea cables linking Barcelona: 2Africa, Aqua Comms' Europe Middle East India cable, Medloop and Medusa cable.
2Africa, connecting key coastal metros around the entire African continent and Arabian Peninsula; Aqua Comms' Europe Middle East India cable, due to link Barcelona with Salalah and Mumbai; Medloop by Sipartech, connecting Barcelona to Ajaccio, Genoa and Marseille; and the Medusa cable, due to link Barcelona with Lisbon and several important Mediterranean, European and African metros.
Equinix's worldwide platform of over 245 data centers, including important Mediterranean cities such as Bordeaux, Genoa, Lisbon and Milan, will provide additional support to this extensive digital connectivity.
Also Read: Equinix to Enter South African Market With Data Center in Johannesburg
Jim Poole, Vice President at Equinix, commented: "Subsea cables play a vital role in enabling the modern digital world, and we anticipate much progress in the next couple of years following the pandemic-induced backlog. Subsea cables provide the underlying capacity between metros on different continents, while Equinix democratizes that capacity, making it easily accessible to a wide range of businesses and enabling rapid international expansion without the need for significant CAPEX investment."
Joan Monraba, Country Manager for Colt Technology Services, Spain, commented: "Spain is an increasingly important digital market and a solid port in the Mediterranean connectivity map. Colt's planned expansion into Equinix's new Barcelona site builds upon our existing metro connectivity across the country. By further bolstering our presence, we are well positioned to drive the next wave of growth for businesses, providing local and international businesses alike with access to the dense Colt IQ Network. As long-standing partners, Colt and Equinix are transforming the enterprise experience of procuring network and digital services with flexible, agile on-demand provisioning."
Also Read: Equinix Announces TY15 IBX; Invests $115M in its New Data Center
Location of the New Centre
The new facility, BA2 International Business Exchange (IBX) data center, will be situated next to the company's current BA1 site. Together, these sites will form a campus and a highly interconnected digital ecosystem. The new data center will provide essential digital capacity to the city, enabling local businesses to grow and expand. It will also promote the expansion of international businesses on Platform Equinix in Barcelona, which is already a crucial and strategically located hub for global communications.
Sustainability
Barcelona has been at the forefront of sustainable practices, as it was the first city in the world to receive the Biosphere certification for sustainable tourism. Similarly, Equinix is leading the charge towards sustainability in the data center industry by committing to becoming climate neutral globally by 2030, along with a short-term science-based target to reduce emissions that align with the Paris Agreement's 1.5-degree scenario.
The company also aims to eventually source 100% clean and renewable energy for its global platform. The BA2 data center will be powered entirely by renewable energy and will be designed to obtain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.
First Customer
Colt is the first customer planned in the new site, BA2, which will connect to major subsea cables from key metros throughout the Mediterranean, coastal Africa and the Middle East.
