Equinix and Oman Telecommunications Company have opened the new International Business Exchange data center in Barka, near Muscat, the capital of Oman. The new Equinix IBX in Oman, named MC1 is strategically located between Asia, Africa, and Europe. By providing ultra-low latency connection points between key global business markets, MC1 will serve as a regional interconnection hub.
The new IBX in Oman
In Oman, carriers, content providers and cloud providers can colocate critical IT infrastructure. With this opening, Equinix had launched its first data center in Oman and its fourth in the MENA region. MC1 has over 23,600 square feet of colocation space and 725 cabinets. The site has the capacity to grow to over 2,150 cabinets with future IBX builds. This new facility provides customers with direct access to the Equinix Internet Exchange.
The new IBX benefits from direct connectivity to strategic cable landing stations (CLS) and subsea cable systems that terminate directly inside the facility. With subsea cable systems terminating directly in MC1, it will also benefit from continued investments by Omantel in multiple strategic subsea cable systems throughout the world, reaching over 50 countries globally.
Talal Al Mamari, CEO, Omantel, talked about MC1, saying,
“The new IBX in Oman represents a significant step forward for Oman and the Middle Eastern ICT markets. We are delighted that the facility is now open and, together with Equinix, we hope to enable a new era of telecommunications both regionally and globally. Coupled with the majority of the GCC’s international submarine cables landing in Oman, all accessible from the Equinix data center, we believe this partnership will further enhance Oman’s competitiveness in the global digital economy.”