Equinix announces data centre expansion in South Korea to drive AI progress

Digital infrastructure company Equinix has announced the opening of its second International Business Exchange data centre, SL4, in South Korea’s capital Seoul, during Q1 2024. Aimed at meeting the digital needs of both local and international businesses in Korea, the new data centre is designed to facilitate the acceleration of artificial intelligence (AI) adoption. 

Equinix SL4 aims to provide Korean enterprises with access to a diverse ecosystem of companies, cloud adjacency, global interconnected data ingestion locations, and strategic partnerships with leading AI infrastructure providers via Platform Equinix and its on-demand digital services. 

Chris Jang, Managing Director, Equinix Korea, said, "As AI technology continues to advance at a remarkable pace, it has become increasingly important for businesses to transform their IT infrastructure. At Equinix, we are committed to supporting our customers in Korea by providing them with interconnected digital ecosystems and robust digital infrastructure. By expanding our digital platform with SL4, businesses can efficiently connect with tech partners in ecosystems and advanced AI infrastructure." 

The new data centre will be housed within its xScaleTM data centre SL2x in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, offering a capacity of 475 cabinets. Direct connectivity to Equinix's first IBX data centre in Seoul, SL1, will be established through low-latency dark fiber. This connection will enable customers to securely interconnect with a diverse ecosystem, including leading cloud service providers, global networks, content delivery network providers, local carriers, internet service providers (ISPs), and internet exchanges like Korea Internet Neutral Exchange (KINX) and Sejong Telecom’s Korea Internet Exchange (KRIX), as per the company. 

In August, the company also announced an investment of $42 million for its fourth IBX data centre in Mumbai, called MB4, with the aim to allow local and overseas businesses to expand their digital capability as a foundation to accelerate digital transformation in India.