Digital infrastructure company Equinix and global communications provider Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) have announced the opening of their new International Business Exchange (IBX) data centre in Barka, near Muscat
Known as MC1, the facility is a carrier-neutral hub in Oman where carriers, content providers and cloud providers can colocate critical IT infrastructure.
Strategically located between Asia, Africa and Europe, the new Equinix IBX in Oman will serve as a regional interconnection hub providing ultra-low latency connection points between major global business markets. The new IBX benefits from direct connectivity to strategic cable landing stations (CLS) and subsea cable systems that terminate directly within the facility and is expected to provide customers with increased performance and safety, along with significant cost savings.
Talal Al Mamari, CEO, Omantel, said, “The new IBX in Oman represents a significant step forward for Oman and the Middle Eastern ICT markets. We are delighted that the facility is now open and, together with Equinix, we hope to enable a new era of telecommunications both regionally and globally. Coupled with the majority of the GCC’s international submarine cables landing in Oman, all accessible from the Equinix data centre, we believe this partnership will further enhance Oman’s competitiveness in the global digital economy.”
Eugene Bergen Henegouwen, president, EMEA, Equinix, commented, “We see an accelerated demand for digital transformation in MENA. Across different sectors, organisations are re-assessing their cloud adoption strategies and cloud readiness. In the digital age, companies need to reach all the right places and partners to seize the opportunity, and they need to do it out at the edge.
“This type of colocation and interconnection services platform creates a magnetic effect that draws in more users that can leverage a global subsea cable fabric connecting cities, countries and continents together. Along with this, our investment in the Middle East market, including the new data centre in Oman, reflects our commitment to our customers as they continue their digital transformation journeys.”
