Equinix (Nasdaq: EQIX), a provider of global data centre services, and Level 3 Communications (NASDAQ: LVLT), a leading international provider of fibre-based communications services, today announced the opening of a new access node in Equinix's International Business Exchange (IBX) London 4/London5 (LD4/5) data centre campus located on the outskirts of London.
The access node will link the Equinix LD4/5 IBX campus directly with three of Level 3's transatlantic routes to New York, improving diversity and lowering the latency on the route between the UK and North America.
Level 3's new access node will offer customers in the Equinix LD4/5 campus direct connectivity to three transatlantic routes; Yellow, AC-1 and Apollo North, as well as provide access to its extensive North American footprint via the Level 3 facilities in New York. In addition, alongside the community of networks, content and digital media companies, enterprises and financial service providers already operating within Equinix's LD4/5 campus, Level 3's customers will benefit from a new route that bypasses central London. By locating the access node on the outskirts of London, Level 3 has improved the resilience and speed of connection between London and the U.S.
"We live in an increasingly connected world where the speed and reliability with which information travels - particularly for financial firms - is critical to successful business operations," said James Heard, president of European Markets at Level 3. "Our collaboration with Equinix is the latest example of Level 3's commitment to expanding its low-latency offerings across the Atlantic, enabling more options for transatlantic connectivity independent of central London, and providing top-quality solutions for the most demanding of international enterprise customers."
Level 3 currently serves 20 European countries and operates an extensive and diverse network footprint across North America and Europe. The new direct transatlantic routes and on-net connectivity will also provide customers in Equinix's LD4/5 campus greater flexibility to scale bandwidth directly connected to the Level 3 transatlantic network as their demand increases.
"Equinix provides state-of-the-art colocation, interconnection and exchange services that securely connect the world's networks, enterprises, cloud providers and financial institutions," said Russell Poole, General Manager, Equinix UK. "The availability of Level 3's new service at our LD4/5 IBX campus is a valuable addition to our offering and presents an attractive value proposition for customers operating within our ecosystems."