Carrier Neutral Data Centers and Their Benefits to Customers

What is a Carrier Neutral Data Center?

Essentially a carrier neutral data center is one that allows customers to access multiple Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and network providers, or carriers, within one facility, enabling them to choose the connectivity options that suit them and their business the best. This is in contrast to other types of data centers operated by a sole telecommunications provider.

A good analogy is to think of a carrier neutral data center as an airport. The flights in and out of the airport are operated by different airlines, or in this case, the network service providers. The passengers on the planes represent the customer’s data flowing in and out of the data center.

While there may be reasons to opt for a purpose-built airport with only one operator, for most passengers, the airports that offer the greatest value are those with multiple airlines, offering flights to as many different destinations as possible. Likewise, a carrier neutral data center benefits customers by providing them with multiple different connectivity options, offering access to a broader digital ecosystem within the facility.

What Are the Benefits of Carrier Neutral Data Centers?

There are many reasons a business may wish to choose a carrier neutral data center; here are five of the top key benefits to customers.

1. Flexibility

Multiple interconnection options means that businesses have greater choice in terms of finding the right connectivity solution that best meets their deployment requirements. It also gives them the flexibility to connect to multiple carriers within the same facility.

2. Network Performance

Carrier neutral data centers typically have several POPs (Points of Presence) from different carriers located in a ‘Meet me Room’, with specialized routing equipment to support low latency.  Therefore,  most carrier dense data centers often offer customers high speed connectivity and enhanced network performance.

3. Network Resilience

To prevent downtime and service outages, redundant power supplies and backup generators are typical features in a carrier neutral data center. The same applies on the connectivity side; these data centers usually have multiple network connections for each carrier,  creating network resilience, while  helping customers mitigate the risks that come with relying on a single connectivity partner.

4. Cost Optimization

The presence of multiple networks within a carrier neutral data center means that operators are generally able to offer more competitive and cost-effective connectivity solutions to customers.

5. Scalability

Many businesses, particularly those in the cloud and AI space, need to quickly and efficiently adapt their data center deployments to cater to new demand, even more so in fast-growing emerging economies. Carrier neutral data centers are designed for scalability, enabling customers to ramp up quickly and meet changing workloads. This includes adding additional network connections as required.

So, how does Digital Edge fit into this landscape?

Carrier Neutral Data Centers and Digital Edge – Building Digital Ecosystems

At Digital Edge, our mission is to bridge the digital divide in Asia Pacific. This means we endeavor to do more than simply build traditional colocation infrastructure, i.e. power, space and cooling, we seek to enhance a country’s digital infrastructure, by creating and nurturing vibrant digital ecosystems within our facilities.

We are carrier ‘agnostic’ and willing to work with multiple parties to bring maximum benefit to our customers. Our view is that no data center is an island and the more connectivity partners we have within our facilities, the easier it is to attract large hyperscale and AI customers. As well as being carrier-neutral, we also offer multiple connectivity products, such as Cross Link ™, helping our customers connect to other Digital Edge data centers and third-party sites within a metro area.

As an example, here in Manila our state-of-the art NARRA1 data center is the largest operational carrier neutral facility on the market today. Since its launch in 2023 we have steadily been building connectivity through partnerships with both local and international carriers. Recently we also launched our Internet Exchange product (EPIX) at NARRA1, to further bring peering and connectivity options to our customers.

EPIX helps our peering participants, including network carriers, ISPs, content providers and enterprises to easily, quickly and cost effectively exchange IP traffic. This in turn helps with the overall health of the internet in the Philippines, creating faster and smoother performance for end users, and nurtures the region’s thriving digital economy.

If you are interested to learn more about how our carrier neutral data centers can help your business, including our NARRA1 facility in Manila, then don’t hesitate to reach out to us at sales.ph@digitaledgedc.com.