News

The partners say they expects to pre-lease the new London colocation facility to hyperscalers

This week, real estate investment firm Segro has announced a new joint venture with Pure Data Centres to build a £1 billion data centre facility in Park Royal in west London.

The 30,000sqm facility will have a capacity of 56MW, which will be leased to tenants that provide and manage their own server equipment.

The data centre will be owned equally by Segro and Pure DC. Segro will provide the industrial site with its associated power infrastructure, while Pure DC will outfit the facility with the power and technology infrastructure required to host data centre servers.

The joint venture is expected to sign a long-term lease agreement of more than 15 years with a global hyperscaler.

“This innovative joint venture with Pure DC allows us to develop our first fully fitted data centre, alongside a highly experienced partner with an excellent track record of delivering world-class facilities to global hyperscalers,” said David Sleath, chief executive of Segro.

“SEGRO choosing to enter into a joint venture with Pure DC for its first fully fitted data centre development demonstrates our capability to create world-class digital infrastructure. Together we will develop a 56MW data centre in central London capable of handling next-generation cloud and AI workloads,” added Dame Dawn Childs, CEO of Pure DC.

In total, the data centre project is expected to require a combined investment of £1 billion, with Segro providing an initial £150 million.

The data centre market has boomed over the past year, driven by a surge of AI-related investment and the subsequent demand for cloud compute power. While the construction of these new facilities carry major challenges – such as land and renewable energy availability – they also offer margins “too large to ignore”, according to Sleath.

Construction of the facility is expected to start next year, with commercial availability beginning from 2029. The construction process itself is expected to generate hundreds of jobs.

“This announcement is another powerful endorsement of Britain as a home for tech investment, which will not only bolster the local economy and create job opportunities but also pave the way for a digital and AI-powered future,” said Secretary of State for the Department of Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT), Peter Kyle MP. “Private investment like this innovative partnership between SEGRO and Pure DC will help us ensure the UK has the digital infrastructure it needs to thrive, helping us harness the power of technology to grow the economy and raise living standards, the central missions in our Plan for Change.”

How is the data centre boom impacting the North of the UK? Join the industry in discussion at the Data Centre Summit, co-located at the Connected North conference in Manchester

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One fiber M&A and three interesting partnerships: … [visit site to read more]

Recent cable landing station news from eastern India and West Africa underlines the continuing growth of the submarine cable business across both regions.

The state of Odisha in eastern India is aiming to establish itself as a global digital hub; to this end the state government’s Electronics and IT department has initiated plans to set up a cable landing station (CLS) in a coastal city called Puri.

A detailed project report is apparently being jointly prepared by ICT neutral telecom infrastructure provider RailTel and consultancy Deloitte.

The facility will provide direct international fibre connectivity, reducing latency, improving internet speed, and, it is hoped, positioning Odisha as a prime destination for hyperscalers, global capability centres and enterprises.

According to India’s Economic Times news service, the state’s Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja has emphasised the need for consultations with hyperscalers and key ecosystem players to ensure a comprehensive and future-ready implementation. He has also called for early submission of the detailed project report for approval with a focus on completion of the project within three years.

Puri was identified as the ideal location for the cable landing station due to its strategic geographic position, suitable coastline, scalability potential and robust infrastructure.

Meanwhile, in West Africa, ACE Gabon, part of the ACE (Africa Coast to Europe) subsea cable consortium, and Medusa Africa have signed a construction and maintenance agreement to land the Medusa submarine cable in Port-Gentil, Gabon. 

According to the Data Centre Dynamics website the original plan was for The Medusa submarine cable, which is powered by AFR-IX Telecom – an infrastructure and telecom operator in Africa – to have 17 landing points across Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Libya, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, and Tunisia. Now, however, as well as connecting all Mediterranean countries it will extend into West Africa. 

ACE Gabon will act as the landing party in Gabon, providing both domestic resources and investment as well as continuous operational and maintenance support in Gabon and its territorial waters for the lifetime of the cable, expected to be 25 years.

ACE Gabon will also own rights along the trunk of the Medusa system, enabling it to provide regional and international broadband services to the country’s enterprises and people.

News

The deal will see over 185,000 premises added to CityFibre’s full fibre network

Today, wholesale fibre network operator CityFibre has announced the acquisition of smaller altnet Connexin’s network infrastructure.

The deal will see CityFibre integrate Connexin’s fibre-to-the-premise (FTTP) network in Hull and East Riding, which currently reaches over 80,000 premises, with a further 20,000 planned for the future.

The deal will also see CityFibre take ownership of Connexin’s Project Gigabit contract, worth £58.6 million, which pledges to rollout fibre to 34,000 hard-to-reach premises in Nottinghamshire and West Lincolnshire. This project will also “unlock a future expansion to over 50,000 non-subsidised premises in the target regions”, according to the company’s press release.

In total, CityFibre says the deal will potentially increase their fibre footprint by over 185,000 premises.

Financial details of the deal were not released.

“Connexin has built an outstanding network and it’s a brilliant fit for CityFibre. Our mature wholesale model will now bring Hull’s homes and businesses increased choice and access to unrivalled connectivity products, services and prices. After our rapid integration of Lit Fibre’s network, we have demonstrated that this is an effective way to expand our footprint and we look forward to playing an active role in the sector’s accelerating consolidation in 2025,” said CityFibre CEO Greg Mesch.

“Given our major role in the government’s Project Gigabit rollout, we are also pleased to take on a further contract, delivering next-generation digital infrastructure for more hard-to-reach rural communities across Nottingham and West Lincolnshire,” he added.

Connexin’s ISP and Smart Home businesses are not included in the deal and instead will gain access to CityFibre’s network via a new wholesale agreement.

“The next phase of our growth is tremendously exciting as we accelerate our focus on expanding our Smarter Home, Business, Enterprise, Public Sector and Utilities products and services across the UK, enabling these rapidly evolving markets to achieve ambitious goals through adopting smarter technology,” said Furqan Alamgir, CEO of Connexin.

Connexin’s primary backer, global asset investor PATRIZIA, will also become a minority shareholder in CityFibre.

The news comes just a week after CityFibre announced it was aiming to double the number of customers on its network to 1 million by the end of the year, 70% of which would come from the acquisition of smaller network players.

To support this goal, the company is currently in negotiations with various banks to secure a £1 billion loan. It is also seeking to raise a further £500 million from existing investors, including Goldman Sachs and Abu Dhabi’s sovereign investor Mubadala.

Speaking to The Financial Times, CityFibre said that the company was in a “strong position”, with shareholders that are “committed to CityFibre’s long-term success”.

Join CityFibre and the rest of the UK fibre market in discussion at Connected North, live in Manchester

Also in the news:
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Some regional expansion, a new PoP, some FTTH, and some quantum network security: … [visit site to read more]

MegaFon Tajikistan has switched on 60 new 4G base stations across the country as part of its efforts to enhance service quality.

In a translated statement, the operator said that since the beginning of the year, 20 new 4G sites have been deployed in Khatlon, making it the most expanded region, with several cities and districts benefiting from the rollout. The Sughd region saw the addition of 14 base stations, while several unspecified sites were also activated in Dushanbe province.

The expansion is supported by government initiatives aimed at developing Tajikistan’s digital economy and driving innovation.

“2025-2030 have been declared the ‘Years of Development of the Digital Economy and Innovations’ in our country. Sharing the goal of making digital services widely accessible, we have been actively launching base stations across cities and regions since the start of January. This aligns with both technological advancements and the expectations of our subscribers,” said Anatoly Izyumnikov, CEO of MegaFon Tajikistan.

News  

UK incumbent BT has approached AT&T Orange regarding potential partnerships for its international business, Bloomberg has reported, citing sources familiar with the matter

The article suggested that this could include the sale of a portion of BT’s global division, although the discussions remain in the early stages, with no guarantee of fruition. 

“We’re keeping everything open and this means we’ve been speaking to third parties about a range of possibilities,” said a BT spokesperson. 

Since Allison Kirkby took over as CEO in February last year, the company has been undergoing a strategic refocus, which has included the sale of its Irish business last month, and key leadership changes, with Jon James set to take over as CEO of BT Business this month. 

In the release of its financial results for the quarter ending 31 December 2024, Kirkby confirmed that “In Business, our core UK channels were stable. Cost transformation remains firmly on track, with excellent progress on both energy costs and productivity in the quarter.” 

“We continue to make progress towards becoming fully focused on the UK, with the sale of our data centre business in Ireland,” she continued. 

Keep up to date with the latest international telecoms news by subscribing to the Total Telecom newsletter 

Also in the news:
Google announces agreement to acquire Wiz for $32bn
How small moves ignite industry-wide change
Liberty Global in talks to acquire Vodafone’s stake in Dutch JV VodafoneZiggo 

That’s today’s news from Bloomberg. The UK incumbent BT Group is taking steps that could lead to the sale of all or part of the company’s international business. According to the article, they have reached out to AT&T and Orange to talk about possible transactions. … [visit site to read more]

News 

Meta has announced the launch of ‘Meta AI’ in 41 European countries, its largest rollout to date 

Initially, it will support six European languages, with plans for further expansion. 

Users can access Meta AI for free through Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger via a blue circle icon within these apps. The assistant can be used in one-on-one chats or in group conversations. This group chat feature is launching first on WhatsApp and will soon be added to Messenger and Instagram Direct Messaging. 

Meta AI launched in the US back in 2023 but was delayed due to regulatory challenges related to the region’s strict data protection and privacy laws, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). These regulations are more stringent than those in other regions, requiring Meta to ensure full compliance before rolling out the assistant in Europe. 

A key issue was how Meta AI’s large language models (LLMs) are trained using public content shared by users on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Meta needed to ensure that this data usage met European privacy standards. 

“It’s taken longer than we would have liked to get our AI technology into the hands of people in Europe as we continue to navigate its complex regulatory system – but we’re glad we’re finally here,” read a press release from the company.  

“Over the coming weeks, we’ll take the first step in making Meta AI’s chat function available in six European languages, with a view to find parity with the US and expand our offering over time,” it continued. 

Keep up to date with the latest international telecoms news by subscribing to the Total Telecom newsletter 

Also in the news:
Google announces agreement to acquire Wiz for $32bn
How small moves ignite industry-wide change
Liberty Global in talks to acquire Vodafone’s stake in Dutch JV VodafoneZiggo 

This Industry Viewpoint was authored by Anil Kollipara, vice president of Product Management, Spirent Communications

Two decades ago, “operational resilience” in telecom was mostly about keeping the lights on—keeping voice and data services available in the event of outages or equipment failures. Today, as we conduct more of our personal and professional lives online, the stakes are much higher. Resilience now means ensuring that people can continue transacting, trading, and accessing the critical digital services that keep the … [visit site to read more]