The dedicated fibre link from Openreach will provide a range of high bandwidth options, from 10Mbps up to multiple 10Gbps services. This will allow Virtus’ customers to access their mission critical information stored at the data centre via fast, secure and resilient backhaul links.
The deal is one of several similar contracts Openreach expects to sign over the coming months with major UK data centre providers given its rapidly expanding fibre footprint. Openreach already provides high speed Ethernet connectivity to more data centres than any other infrastructure provider in the UK. Its commercial fibre network currently covers more than 16 million premises across the country and this will rise to 19 million – or two thirds of UK premises - by the end of Spring 2014.
To take advantage of its status as the UK’s largest fibre network provider, Openreach plans to proactively build dedicated fibre links to around 15 data centres throughout the UK in this financial year. As the infrastructure will already be in situ at the data centre, communications providers and their customers can have their backhaul links up and running in a matter of days rather than waiting for the fibre network to be built direct to the data centre.
Tim Barclay, MD, Sales, Marketing & Customer Engagement, Openreach said: “Today’s deal with Virtus is part of a major push into the UK data centre market by Openreach. Our extensive and rapidly expanding fibre network means we are well placed to increase our footprint in this market so we expect to sign more deals over the coming months. We are the ideal partner for data centres looking to adopt a carrier neutral approach given our open, wholesale access model. We’re also speeding up the provisioning of our Ethernet services by building fibre links direct to major UK data centres well ahead of any customer orders.”
Neil Cresswell, CEO, Virtus, commented: “I am delighted that Openreach is delivering a dedicated fibre link direct to our Enfield facility. This supports our strategy in building a thriving and diverse digital ecosystem in our data centres. In addition to a wide range of top class connectivity solutions, the presence of Openreach’s high speed fibre optic network in Virtus’ data centre allows Virtus’ end users to connect to over 200 other network providers and the UK’s major internet exchanges. This further enriches our connectivity community offering highly efficient and competitively priced network services”.