EdgeConneX Expands to Argentina

By Tudor Scolca

Partial satellite view of Parque Industrial Pilar

EdgeConneX has unveiled plans to expand in South America and intends to build its first Edge Data Center (EDC) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The company partnered with the Argentina Investment and Trade Promotion Agency, Silica Networks (telecom service provider), as well as other network and peering companies, to build a globally accessible facility.

The data center is intended for multi-tenant use, and will be located at Parque Industrial Pilar, an industrial park of more than 2,200 acres, home to over 200 national and multinational companies, which employ a total of approximately 15,000 people. The site is located 46 miles outside Buenos Aires, along National Route 8, near the city of Pilar.

“We are delighted that (EdgeConneX) chose our city as their inaugural locale in South America. Their investments will contribute to the development and growth of a vast Internet ecosystem and we look forward to supporting their effort across Argentina,” said Nicolas Ducote, Mayor of Pilar, in prepared remarks.

Data investment in Argentina

EdgeConneX’s facility will provide more than 10 megawatts upon build-out, at N+1 redundancy. The industrial park where the building will be situated features multiple electrical substations, high-voltage lines, high-pressure gas pipelines, storm and industrial drainage systems, all of which were developed by the owner over the course of almost 50 years, to attract as much business to the region as possible.

EdgeConneX partnered with multiple network providers beside Silica Networks, to deliver a carrier-neutral data center, which will function as a connectivity and peering platform for wholesale customers. The ecosystem created by EdgeConneX includes Claro Argentina, Internexa, IPLAN, Metrotel and Telecom Argentina, as well as regional Internet exchanges.

“The new Buenos Aires EDC will provide the region with economic growth through the introduction of cutting-edge technology and connectivity, making Argentina a more attractive location for data investment by enterprises across a wide range of industries,” said Francisco Cabrera, the Minister of Production of Argentina, in a prepared statement.

EdgeConneX set its sights on another site in South America, in the Chilean city of Santiago, where the company is currently considering building another data center. Internationally, the company currently operates two facilities in Europe, with an upcoming third one in the United Kingdom. In North America, the company recently built-out a high-density data center in Toronto, Canada, a six-megawatt, multi-tenant, carrier-neutral EDC.

“As we continue to expand the edge globally in partnership with our customers, we look forward to enhancing the Internet in Buenos Aires by facilitating the fastest and most reliable delivery of cloud, content, network and other services closer to their end users,” said Clint Heiden, CCO of EdgeConneX, in a prepared statement.

Image courtesy of DigitalGlobe, via Google Maps