BT has confirmed the sale of its datacentre business in Ireland, including its datacentres in CityWest and Ballycoolin, to Equinix.
The EUR59 million sale is part of the telecoms giant’s new “asset-light” approach to its international operations under which it will move away from owning fixed assets in favour of partnering with globally scaled organisations.
Completion of the deal is expected in the first half of 2025, after which Equinix will incorporate the facilities into its global network while ensuring uninterrupted operations for existing customers.
BT Ireland Managing Director, Shay Walsh, said: “This announcement with Equinix marks an exciting new chapter for our datacentre business in Ireland.
“The deal builds on our existing successful partnership with Equinix and ensures that customers will benefit from top-tier datacentre services nationally and globally, allowing BT to specialise in our core strengths in cloud, networking, and security.”
Peter Lantry, MD at Equinix Ireland, added: “Equinix has a vital and long- established business in Ireland, with a strong track record of delivering huge value to individuals and companies throughout the Irish economy.
“This acquisition of assets from our existing facility enables us to continue to offer exceptional interconnection services from our unique global platform, augmenting the EUR35M annual contribution to national economic output arising from Equinix’s direct and indirect spend, measured in 2022.”
“We look forward to working closely with BT to ensure a seamless transition, welcoming their datacentre team and customers to Equinix and bringing the scale, expertise, and investment that next generation datacentre facilities require for excellent service delivery for organisations in Ireland and globally.”