Equinix has announced plans to open its first data center in Bordeaux, France

The new facility, known as BX1, is projected to open in Q3 2021 and will provide approximately 32,000 square feet (3,000 square meters) of colocation space.

Equinix comes to Bordeaux, just in time for Amitié cable

Equinix says BX1 will be the first carrier-neutral data center in Bordeaux. Currently the city has several colocation facilities offered by French cloud provider Cheops Technology, as well as single locations from Cogent Communications, Aliénor.net, and CIS Valley.

BX1 will provide a landing hub for the new Amitié submarine cable, due to link Massachusetts in the US, Le Porge in France, and Bude in the United Kingdom. Funded by a consortium comprising Facebook, Microsoft, Aqua Comms and Vodafone, it will consist of 16 fiber pairs, each with up to 23 Tbps of capacity.

“The development of BX1 is part of our ongoing commitment to the French market, further supporting the growth of the local digital economy and digital transformation strategies,” said Equinix’s Managing Director for France, Régis Castagné. “It is an exciting project, bringing the first edge computing-led data center to the area, and also providing a connectivity hub for the Amitié cable. By locating in Bordeaux, we are hoping to make the New Aquitaine region a model for innovation, addressing technological issues and capturing the opportunities of digital business."

“It is hoped the landing of the new transatlantic mega cable near Bordeaux will ultimately enable the New Aquitaine region to become a global data exchange center, building a strong and innovative digital ecosystem to support its economic development,” said Jean-Luc Vuillemin, Executive Vice President Network Infrastructures and International Services, Orange. “This is the first time in several decades that a new submarine cable connectivity point has been created in France.”