EXA invests US$200mn in European network capacity

EXA Infrastructure, the largest dedicated digital infrastructure platform connecting Europe and  North America, today announced its initial commitment to investing in a series of major  enhancements to its network across Europe, with many already underway. EXA is executing a  targeted growth strategy to invest capital in new infrastructure alongside unlocking optimal use  of existing assets. 

The network build and optimisation programme, which will primarily focus on routes in the  Mediterranean region in southern and eastern Europe, is part of the company’s vision of  becoming the undisputed leader in the European digital infrastructure market, with the broadest  geographical coverage across the continent and transatlantic routes. Through the creation of  several new terrestrial and sub-sea routes, and the lighting of dark fibre to increase capacity on  many existing links, in its first half-year in business EXA has invested €190 million in adding  more than 7,000 kilometres of network, with additional capital expenditure of up to €150 million  due to be committed before EXA’s first anniversary in September. The investments are in  parallel with the annual cycle of regular enhancements to the capacity and intelligence of the  network, with greater automation and resiliency. 

EXA has also today announced a Memorandum of Understanding for a joint venture with the  Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG (TAP), part of the Southern Gas Corridor transporting natural gas  from Azerbaijan to Europe, to build a new fibre route connecting France with Turkey in a  substantial 878-kilometre expansion of its network. This will create the only direct connection between south-east and western Europe to provide high-levels of redundancy over existing  multi-stage alternative routes.  

Investment aims to enable EXA to meet capacity demand as telecoms and large enterprises look to increase bandwidth

As hyperscale network users, large enterprises, telecoms carriers and governments look to use ever-increasing amounts of bandwidth, the investment will enable EXA to meet growing capacity demand where those large customers do and will need it, and offer them more diverse routing  options.  

“Our intention is simple - we want to carry the most important traffic for the most important  customers by offering the broadest geographic coverage,” said Martijn Blanken, CEO, EXA  Infrastructure. “The European telecoms sector has been largely starved of major capital  investment for more than a decade, but the insatiable demand for bandwidth from large  companies and our close partnership with them means we are able to commit to bringing more  network capacity to the parts of Europe where data traffic demand is surging. 

“Through spending on new assets and optimising the use of what we already have, we will offer  the best and broadest network available, with the best technology and a team that is easy to do  business with,” he added.