Data Center

Equinix to add data center, 5G Proof of Concept Center to Dallas Infomart campus

June 30, 2020

The 5G and Edge POCC will leverage Equinix’s data center and connectivity resources to create a 5G and edge "sandbox" environment, says the company.

Stephen Hardy

Equinix, Inc. (NASDAQ: EQIX) says it will add a second International Business Exchange (IBX) data center, called DA11 to the Dallas Infomart Data Center campus it acquired in 2018 (see "Equinix completes $800 million Infomart Dallas acquisition"). The company also will establish a 5G and Edge Proof of Concept Center (POCC) at the site as part of a $142 million initiative.

DA11 will be Equinix’s ninth data center in the Dallas metro area. The first phase of its construction will provide a capacity of 1,975 cabinets and colocation space of approximately 72,000 square feet. The facility will be designed to offer more than 3,850 cabinets and colocation space of more than 144,000 square feet when fully built out.

The 5G and Edge POCC will leverage Equinix’s data center and connectivity resources to create a 5G and edge "sandbox" environment, says the company. It will enable mobile network operators (MNOs), cloud platforms, technology vendors, and enterprises to use Equinix resources to test, demonstrate, and accelerate 5G and edge deployment and interoperability. Such activities will include the exploration of hybrid multicloud interconnectivty scenarios among MNOs, public clouds, and private infrastructures, says Equinix. Business models and go-to-market strategies also could be developed and launched, the company adds.

"Connectivity is becoming increasingly critical for the development of modern hybrid cloud and mobile environments, and Dallas is a key market in enabling companies to accelerate their 5G strategies and overall digital transformation journey,” commented Stefanie Williams, Analyst, 451 Research (part of S&P Global Market Intelligence), via an Equinix press release. “The Dallas multi-tenant data center market remains among the top five in the U.S., and providers have benefitted from strong demand over the years. Dallas will most likely continue to see notable levels of demand, and with the opening of DA11, Equinix is positioning itself to meet demand for connectivity and interconnection to an ecosystem of carriers, network and cloud providers."

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About the Author

Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave

Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.

Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.

He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.

You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.