It will be an initial investment of 50 million euros that Equinix, a digital infrastructure company listed on the Nasdaq and founded in Silicon Valley in 1998, will make in Portugal in the construction of a new data center.
Designated LS2 International Business Exchange – L for Lisbon – the new data center will be located next to the existing Equinix data center in the Portuguese capital, LS1. Together, considers Equinix, they form “a dynamic campus and a dense digital ecosystem†, contributing “to strengthening Portugal’s digital capacity”, and increasing the ability to attract large international companies.
Portugal benefits from being a mooring point for submarine cables that connect Europe to South America, North America and Africa and this is what attracts the giants in the transportation center sector. data and the digital economy. “The growing importance of Lisbon as a submarine cable hub makes the Portuguese capital an ideal location for the new Equinix data center”, highlights the North American company. It also adds that “the new LS2 will serve as a vital gateway for connecting Europe to Africa, and will be a fundamental connection point for communication between data with the Americas”.
The opening of the new center is scheduled for the first quarter of 2025, and there are 2050 square meters of scalable technical area space. Equinix says that around 30 new highly qualified direct and indirect jobs will be created.
“Together, Equinix’s two data centers in Lisbon (LS1 and LS2) will provide more than 2000 interconnections, network connectivity services to more than 100 business customers,†he adds.
A network of 260 centers to meet demand
Equinix has a network made up of 260 data centers spread across the world in cities considered key in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, including Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, Bordeaux, Genoa and Milan. The new data center will strengthen digital connectivity in Southern Europe, highlights the company.
“The increase in demand we are seeing from companies in Lisbon and across the Atlantic and Mediterranean makes this investment timely and significant. Lisbon has the potential to become a dense and valuable strategic center. We are pleased to contribute to its growth and position ourselves as the cornerstone of Europe,” highlights Carlos Paulino, general director of Equinix in Portugal.
The services provided by Equinix in Lisbon are useful for cloud service providers, digital content companies, social media platforms and offer direct connectivity to all submarine cable docking stations in Portugal.
“The LS2 data center will have 100% renewable energy coverage and will have Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification”, says the company, highlighting that it is “committed to supporting growth sustainable development of the Internet, to serve economies around the world.”
Lisbon: a submarine cable hub
Equinix highlights the strategic relevance of Portugal, explaining that the country was the first to have direct fiber connectivity to all continents and detailing that there are currently 11 submarine cables docking in the Lisbon area, which allow the connection to 91 terrestrial stations and 62 countries.
“All submarine cables arriving in the Lisbon area have terminations in Equinix data centers in the Portuguese capital, including EllaLink; between Portugal and Brazil (with 100 Tbps); Equiano, between Portugal and South Africa (owned from Google, with 144 Tbps); the 2Africa, which surrounds the African continent (owned by China Mobile, Meta, Orange, Vodafone, etc., with 240 Tbps); the Medusa System, crossing the Mediterranean (owned by a consortium); European, with 480 Tbps); or Nuvem, between Portugal and the USA (owned by Google, with 360 Tbps)”, he details.
