Data centre investment ‘catalyst for 5G in Cork’
The only data centre in Munster has doubled in size, as part of a €6m investment that it says will be a “catalyst for Cork’s transition to 5G”, the next evolution of mobile device technology.
Cork Internet eXchange (CIX) data centre, at Hollyhill, on Cork’s northside, has doubled in size, to 1,200 sq m, following the opening of a new data hall, and the new investment will increase its connectivity capacity by 500%, it said.
The firm, which connects businesses, said it will be creating 15 new jobs in Cork, Toronto, and Hyderabad, in India, over the next three years, as it enters new markets.
Its data centres will be fully powered by renewable energy by 2020, following a partnership with a windfarm in Dunmanway.
CIX chief executive, Jerry Sweeney, said:
It sees the expansion of our physical data centre, as well as a massive increase in our connectivity capacity, which will provide some of the fastest connectivity in Ireland.
The firm said the increased capacity would assist Cork in adapting to 5G.
The successor to the current 4G on most mobile networks, 5G is the next generation of mobile technology, built upon the foundation of 4G. It will provide four main features, such as ultra-high speeds, as well as the ability to connect a huge amount of devices.
It will also increase the reliability of the connection and will mean very low latency, which is the amount of time a message takes to navigate across a system.
Mr Sweeney said the new investment would mean CIX had the lowest latency in the Republic to the UK and the lowest in Europe to the US.
