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The development will provide Manchester and the north of England with higher capacity connectivity
Virgin Media Business Wholesale, the fixed wholesale arm of Virgin Media O2 (VMO2), has upgraded Manchester’s Equinix MA5 data centre with new high-capacity fibre routes.
Manchester MA5 is now a key part of Virgin Media Business Wholesale’s network, which includes over 160 data centres across the UK.
VMO2 says the site is ideal for hyperscalers, connectivity resellers, and enterprises needing ultra-low-latency connections due to its “premium colocation services and long-term capacity”.
The press release describes the new site as a “significant addition to what is considered the UK’s most important network ecosystem and interconnection hub outside of London.”
The development will enhance the connectivity options for businesses in Manchester and the North, providing access to high-speed infrastructure.
The new infrastructure at Manchester MA5 can support bandwidths up to 100Gbps, catering to services like 10Gbps National Ethernet, and 10Gbps and 100Gbps National High-Capacity Services.
“This further investment in Manchester will help the UK’s position as a strategic digital business hub, where a 43% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in interconnection bandwidth is expected by 2025, driven by network, content and media, and financial services demand,” said Lorraine Wilkinson, Equinix UK’s Regional Vice President.
Virgin Media Business Wholesale is also upgrading network capabilities at four other UK data centres: Equinix LD5 (Slough), Equinix LD8, Telehouse North, and Global Switch (all in the London Docklands area). These upgrades are now live and offer diverse and cost-effective solutions for building scalable networks.
“We’re excited to add this flagship site to our already extensive portfolio of data centre locations across the UK,” said John Chester, Wholesale Fixed Director at Virgin Media O2.
“It sets us up to provide our wholesale partners with more efficient and cost-effective network solutions, and further increases the reach and diversity of our network across the region,” he continued.
The upgrades are part of a multi-million-pound investment by Virgin Media Business Wholesale to enhance their 10Gbps portfolio, focusing on faster connections through increased automation and shorter delivery times. Further expansions to more sites are planned for later in 2024, aiming for full nationwide availability.
The UK’s largest data centre hub, Slough, is home to 34 datacentres and counting. It is also considered the largest data centre hub in Europe.
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