By Aya Zhang
In line with its global strategy of forging strategic partnerships with leading companies worldwide, EDGNEX Data Centres by DAMAC, a leading provider of digital infrastructure, has announced the establishment of a joint venture company with Vodafone to build a cutting-edge data centre in Izmir, Turkey, with an estimated investment of US$100 million. Scheduled for completion in 2025 with a capacity of 6 megawatts, the new data centre reflects Vodafone’s vision to pioneer Turkey’s digital transformation and underscores the company’s commitment to investing in both the sector and the country’s future.
The Vice Chairman and Board Member of EDGNEX Data Centres by DAMAC, Aqil Ali and the CEO of Vodafone Turkey, Engin Aksoy,attended the press conference in Istanbul for the Vodafone Izmir Data Centre project.
Aqil Ali stated: “Our joint venture with Vodafone is a significant milestone for DAMAC, providing essential digital infrastructure for the growing market on Turkey’s western coast. The Eastern Mediterranean region has a high demand for data centres, making Izmir, one of the largest and oldest cities in Turkey, an ideal location to meet this need. Our goal is to build global strategic partnerships that will have a major effect on local digital economies, and the collaboration with Vodafone will result in a top-notch facility in a constantly evolving market.”
Engin Aksoy spoke at the press conference and remarked: “Vodafone holds a significant position in the investment landscape of our country. Our role in the Turkish economy is important as a key player. The real value of our investments over the span of 17 years has exceeded TL 157,6 billion. The Vodafone ecosystem made a significant contribution of TL 68 billion to Turkey’s GDP during the fiscal year of 2022-23. Over the next five years, our plan is to grow exponentially with investments in Data Centre, Cloud Solutions, Cyber Security, Mobile Private Network, and IoT. The cloud computing market is projected to hit 947,3 billion dollars by 2026. We believe that Turkey should take part in this rising economy. It remains crucial to invest in reliable and high-capacity data centres for cloud computing.”
He added: “Taking this into consideration, we collaborated with DAMAC to build a new data centre in Turkey, and established a joint venture. Our goal through this strategic partnership is to develop data centre facilities in both Turkey and international markets. The data centre we are set to build in Izmir will be our primary joint project. We expect the total investment amount to reach $100 million. The data centre will be a major milestone in our technology investments. Vodafone will continue to leverage its global experience and local capabilities to contribute to the sustainable growth of our country.”
Designed to meet Tier 3 standards
The data centre will incorporate the latest technology and meet Tier 3 standards. The data centre industry recognizes Tier 3 data centres as those equipped with state-of-the-art features, guaranteeing 99.982 per cent uptime, full redundancy, and fault tolerance. It has been designed to meet the earthquake resistance standards, and the Tier 3 standards, equipped with redundant infrastructure capacity, including a reliable cooling system, computing systems, and a technology centre that can be maintained while operating. The data centre will have a green energy component and will be powered substantially by green energy sources.
Strategical position
Izmir is situated in proximity to numerous submarine cable transit hubs, offering connectivity to Europe, Africa, and Asia. By its strategic position, the ongoing development of submarine cables in this region is highly appealing to internet exchange points and content delivery network (CDN) providers. The submarine cable system is set to establish a connection between Turkey and Greece, bridging the cities of Izmir, Athens, and Crete. This will provide data centre customers access with low latency through redundant connection routes.
“One-stop shop”
The new data centre will offer end-to-end services to customers through ecosystem. The data centre, planned a carrier-independent facility, will be the top choice for customers of all segments. The new data centre will serve as a “one-stop-shop” for the region, connecting to Europe through both terresterial and submarine cables. It will serve specifically to content creators, wholesale service providers, and businesses in need of disaster recovery center services. This will be a key factor in customers’ decision to choose the center.
The new development will be a vital hub for both OTT and hyperscaler segment. This segment will have the option to access data centre services via an alternative geographical route.
