REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – Toronto and Montreal are among the fastest growing edge metros in North and South America, according to volume five of the Global Interconnection Index, an annual report released yesterday by data centre operator Equinix.
The two cities are “tied as second fastest growing edge metros in the Americas with a growth rate of 54% CAGR” (compound annual growth rate), only behind Mexico City, according to Equinix’s Canadian press release announcing the publication of the report.
“Edge metros are those locations primarily used as the interface between the physical and digital worlds as organizations connect to customers, edge devices and places of business and participate in local marketplaces,” the release explains.
Around the world service providers, including telecommunications service providers, are growing their edge infrastructure at almost double the rate of their core infrastructure.
The report shows “the pandemic has forced economies into digital overdrive, with digital leaders, businesses who were already implementing a digital-first strategy, moving four times faster than pre-pandemic levels,” says the press release.
Equinix anticipates this “accelerated pace of digital transformation will continue to fuel the rapid growth in interconnection bandwidth.”
Interconnection bandwidth is a measurement, in bits per second, “of the capacity provisioned to privately and directly exchange traffic between two parties, inside carrier-neutral colocation data centres,” the full report explains.
The report shows the Americas is the largest region globally and contributes 47% of global interconnection bandwidth and is expected to reach 10,156+ terabits per second (Tbps), by 2024, an increase of 43% CAGR from 2020.
“This growth is aligned with the increasing demand for the digital infrastructure needed to bring more businesses online, facilitate electronic integration with partners and supply chains, and reach more people in distributed hybrid work environments,” the press release says.
“Metros across the world have been building out and transforming their digital infrastructure to help manage the shift to a digital first economy,” said Andrew Eppich, managing director of Equinix Canada, in the press release.
“Interconnections within Toronto and Montreal are accelerating at a faster pace than almost all metros in the Americas. It is critical that Equinix continues to help fuel this acceleration by investing in and growing our portfolio of solutions, not only in these metros, but across Canada. Our goal is to bring the best of Equinix to Canada and bring the best of Canada to the world.”
To read the full report, please click here.
Chart borrowed from the report, Global Interconnection Index, vol. 5.
