Rack Centre welcomes TelCables Nigeria to boost digital connectivity in West Africa

Rack Centre, the leading Tier III Carrier and cloud-neutral data centre in the West African region, has expanded its reach of available interconnection services with TelCables Nigeria, a subsidiary of Angola Cables, which opened a new Point of Presence (PoP) at its facility.

The presence of TelCables Nigeria, a subsidiary of global ICT solutions and services provider, Angola Cables is set to boost low-latency interconnectivity and Cloud access across West Africa, significantly advancing the region’s digital infrastructure.

Welcoming TelCables Nigeria to the facility, the Chief Executive Officer of Rack Centre, Lars Johannisson, highlighted the ongoing expansion of Rack Centre’s Lagos campus with the near completion of the LGS 2 Data Centre, which will bring the facility’s total capacity to 13.5MW of IT power and 7,200 square meters of space.

“This is a major step for Africa’s digital development as access to the infrastructure necessary to drive and expand digital ecosystems across the continent, boost innovation and ultimately drive economic growth within Nigeria and across the continent will be readily available,” he said.

He explained further that the LGS 2 data centre has also been developed to ensure AI-readiness that allows for enhanced data processing and storage capabilities, which are critical for businesses and organisations that are embracing artificial intelligence and machine learning.

“Once completed, operators like TelCables, hyperscalers, businesses, telecom operators, and service providers will have access to world-class, carrier-neutral and cloud-neutral infrastructure to scale their digital operations securely. This will ultimately foster economic growth in Nigeria and the West Africa region,” he added.

Emphasising the importance of the strategic expansion by partnering with Rack Centre, the Chief Executive Officer of TelCables Nigeria and West Africa, Fernando Fernandes, explained that the partnership with Rack Centre is part of a greater vision.

“If we can do this together, we are setting the right course for Africa’s future prosperity as a contributor to the rapidly evolving digital economy,” he said.

He said the strategic expansion aims to significantly enhance digital connectivity across West Africa using the extensive Angola Cables backbone network to support businesses and communities obtain easier, more affordable access to digital content and services.

Fernandes said by leveraging Angola Cables’ robust SACS and WACS subsea cable systems, the new PoP will enable efficient routing of data traffic to South America, the U.S., and Europe through the EllaLink subsea cable.

He said this infrastructure not only enhances standard routing but also offers redundancy options for improved resilience and reliability.

” Rack Centre stands out with its Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.35, the lowest in the West African region, along with a sustainable energy generation mix that sets it apart from competitors.

“The LGS 2 Data Centre embodies innovation and sustainability through its adoption of green practices and AI-readiness,” he stated.

In June 2022, Rack Centre became the first International Finance Corporation (IFC) EDGE certified data centre in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

This officially makes LGS2 the first Green Certified Data Centre in Africa. It is the most connected facility in the region according to its PeeringDB ranking and links every country on Africa’s Atlantic coast.