In order to build BG2, a new International Business Exchange (IBX) data center in Bogotá that is slated to open in the first half of 2023, Equinix has announced a $45 million data center investment in Colombia.
With the opening of this new colocation data center, Equinix is reaffirming its dedication to boosting the digital economy throughout Latin America. With about 32,000 square feet of colocation space (approximately 2,900 square meters), this facility is anticipated to be one of the biggest data centers in Colombia. Through integrated digital ecosystems, Equinix BG2 would enable local and international enterprises and partners to connect directly and securely to the global digital economy.
Since it began operating in the area in 2011, Equinix has made approximately $2 billion in investments in Latin America, including purchases and expansions in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Peru. In 71 regions throughout the world, the firm now operates more than 240 data centers.
“We chose to invest in Colombia because the country has a fast-growing IT sector and is part of the fourth-largest economy in LATAM,” said Tara Risser, President, Americas, Equinix. “The country’s economy has boomed over the past decade, driven by thriving energy and manufacturing sectors. We believe the country is also well positioned to support businesses looking to expand within LATAM, while also staying closely connected to North America. BG2 is another example of our commitment to provide our customers with the right places, partners and possibilities for their digital transformations now and into the future.”
Cool Array Technology
550 data center cabinets can fit in the first phase of Equinix BG2, and there is room for more in subsequent stages. When fully constructed, the building will have enough for 1,100 cabinets.
The “groundbreaking” Cool Array technology will be implemented at BG2 as the first Equinix facility in the Americas to fulfill Colombia’s sustainability criteria. This cooling system would be extremely effective in terms of air volume provided per unit energy spent. Equinix already uses it in a number of locations around EMEA and Asia-Pacific. This approach also relies on free-cooling chillers, which cool the air by using the cooler outside air. These chillers would greatly reduce the energy used annually by their compressors, improving building efficiency overall.
The whole suite of digital services offered by Equinix, including Equinix Fabric, Equinix Internet Exchange, Equinix Internet Access, and Equinix Precision Time, will be made available to the Equinix BG2 facility in Bogotá. Customers in Colombia can connect in real time, directly, and privately to more than 10,000 businesses through Platform Equinix, including more than 2,000 networks and 3,000 cloud and IT service providers, for increased performance, security, and scale. All these solutions are currently also available in Equinix BG1.
Customers in Equinix BG2 would be able to easily and directly connect to BG1, which also enables low-latency connections to the Equinix MI1 Miami IBX data center, which is the location of the Miami Internet Exchange (IX), which links the majority of LATAM and the Caribbean to the rest of the globe. More than 150 users exchange well over 500 gigabits per second (Gbps) of traffic over the Miami IX. For Managed Services Providers, Network Service Providers, and Content Service Providers aiming to improve ecosystems and boost the nation’s digital economy, BG2 is the ideal site. Eleven separate undersea cables also arrive in Colombia, providing low-latency access to Miami and other northern cities as well as the rest of South America.
“We’ve continued to see demand from companies in Colombia due to its accelerated pace of innovation and digital transformation,” said Eduardo Carvalho, Managing Director, Equinix LATAM. “The construction of a new data center will help us to support Colombian digital leaders on their digital infrastructure journey and, of course, also those who want to become the digital leaders of the future.”
