NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), the world’s digital infrastructure company™, today announced a US$45 million investment in Colombia for the construction of BG2, a new International Business Exchange™ (IBX®) data center in Bogotá, scheduled to open in the first half of 2023. With this new facility, Equinix is reinforcing its commitment to strengthening the digital economy across Latin America, with around 32,000 square feet (approximately 2,900 square meters) of colocation space—expected to be one of the largest data centers in Colombia. BG2 will provide global and local businesses and partners alike with the ability to connect directly and securely to the world’s digital economy, via comprehensive digital ecosystems.

Rendering of Equinix BG2 International Business Exchange (IBX) in Bogota, Colombia

Equinix has invested nearly US$2 billion in Latin America since it started operating in the region in 2011, including acquisitions and expansions in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Peru. Globally, the company operates more than 240 data centers in 71 markets.

“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.”

Highlights/Key Facts

• BG2 will be a state-of-the-art data center, designed to deliver Secure Cabinets and Private Cage deployments. The initial phase of BG2 will have a capacity for 550 cabinets, with space for additional cabinets in future phases. At full build, the facility will provide capacity for 1,100 cabinets.
• Sustainability is an important topic for the IT leaders in Colombia according to Equinix’s Global Tech Trends Survey 2022. When asked about the relevance of sustainability within their organizations, 78% of the Colombian IT leader respondents commented that reducing the environmental footprint is a priority for their technology strategy, and 73% said they have a management plan against possible environmental impacts due to the increasing use of data.
  • In order to support Colombian sustainability requirements, BG2 will be the first Equinix facility in the Americas to adopt the innovative Cool Array technology. This cooling system, already used by Equinix in various facilities across EMEA and Asia-Pacific, is highly efficient in terms of air volume delivered per unit energy consumed. This solution also counts on free-cooling chillers that use the external lower temperature to cool the air, providing substantial reductions in annual chiller compressor energy consumption and contributing significantly to the overall building efficiency.
• The Global Tech Trends Survey 2022 also revealed that around 90% of the Colombian respondents consider that complying with data regulations, future-proofing their business and improving customer experience are the highest priorities in their organization’s technology strategy.
• Equinix plans to expand a full range of interconnection and digital services to BG2 including Equinix Fabric®, Equinix Internet Exchange®, Equinix Internet Access and Equinix Precision Time®. These solutions, currently available in BG1, enable customers in Colombia to connect in real time, directly and privately, to more than 10,000 companies, including more than 2,000 networks and ~3,000 cloud and IT service providers, through Platform Equinix® for increased performance, security and scale.
• Customers in BG2 will be able to easily and directly connect to BG1, which also allows low-latency routes to Equinix MI1 Miami IBX data center, home of the Miami Internet Exchange (IX), that connects most of LATAM and the Caribbean to the world. The Miami IX has more than 150 participants exchanging well above 500 gigabits per second (Gbps) of traffic. This makes BG2 an optimum location for Managed Services Providers, Network Service Providers and Content Service Providers looking to strengthen ecosystems and empower the digital economy in the country. Additionally, eleven different subsea cables land in Colombia, allowing for low-latency connectivity with the rest of South America and to points in the north including Miami.

Photo courtesy of Markus Spiske.