Why BT is a Strategic Interconnectivity Partner for Equinix

BT Group has expanded its partnership with digital infrastructure operator Equinix through the deployment of its Global Fabric platform across an additional network of Equinix data centres worldwide.

The telecommunications provider's network-as-a-service platform is now operational in 30 Equinix facilities, with plans to expand to more than 40 locations within the next year. The deployment will cover territories that represent 95% of global cloud interconnection traffic.

This will span the world’s top 30 business locations covering 95% of the world’s cloud interconnection traffic and hopes to help customers boost their digital transformation efforts, whilst also accelerating business outcomes.

“The BT-Equinix partnership is a terrific example of our strategy to build the strongest digital foundations for our customers,” shares ​Matt Swinden, Director, Digital Connectivity, Business at BT. “Global Fabric combined with Equinix’s global ecosystem of infrastructure, cloud and digital service widens the choice we offer to customers of the best locations to interconnect their full business value chain.”

Strengthening global networks

BT has been working for some time to bolster its digital transformation efforts, focusing on the quality of its data to drive forward AI innovations. 

The telco has a strong commitment to data centres and cloud services, having established strongholds in the UK to supply customers with tailored solutions for their needs.

Global Fabric provides network-as-a-service (NaaS) capabilities that enable organisations to modify their connectivity requirements through a centralised platform. The system offers management tools for both access and core networks, allowing enterprises to monitor end-to-end performance across office, factory and cloud environments.

It is also designed to make it easier for businesses to deploy and scale interconnectivity with third parties across their full digital value chain. Additionally, the solution also offers visibility and control of both access and core networks to allow organisations for strong end-to-end network performance for their workloads, from users and devices in offices and factories. It can also be used for the multi-cloud core, which interconnects apps and digital services including AI.

BT says Global Fabric is built on a fully resilient architecture and offers a range of management options, ensuring that changing connectivity is able to happen instantly.

Having the platform integrated into Equinix data centres will add to its international footprint, which BT believes will be one of the largest of any NaaS platform. When the full deployment is complete, Global Fabric will be accessible through 140 points-of-presence (PoPs) across 40 countries, providing connectivity to more than 700 data centres.

It also hopes to offer 74% coverage of hyperscaler clouds and high-bandwidth connectivity to more than 700 data-centres.

Supporting enterprise growth

The agreement builds on an existing quantum secure communications partnership between the two companies, which resulted in the UK's first quantum-secured data centre to data centre connection. 

Both companies also collaborated when Equinix acquired BT’s data centre business in the Republic of Ireland, as part of its plan to expand its global interconnection platform and better support its customers with hybrid cloud solutions.

Equinix’s global platform interconnects multiple clouds hosting the apps, solutions and marketplaces underpinning the digital economy. 

The agreement with BT expands the telco’s ability to offer customers a comprehensive choice of leading strategic locations for businesses to digitally interconnect with partners, suppliers, customers and other stakeholders across their full value chain.

In today’s power-hungry world, the demand for data centre networking services is surging, with a greater need for more computing power, faster processing speed and larger storage space.

According to McKinsey, demand for AI-ready data centre capacity will rise by 33% on average every year between 2023 and 2030, citing the need for more robust data centre networks.

By integrating industry value chains, Equinix says leading businesses are innovating at a rate 25% higher than their peers.

Arun Dev, Global Interconnections at Equinix, says: “Our partnership enables BT to offer its customers interconnectivity with the full Equinix global digital ecosystem of cloud and IT services, as well as hundreds of content and digital media services and over 4,800 enterprises hosted at our datacentres globally.”

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