CW Data Center Global Market Comparison 2020

L o w M i d H i g h

FIBER CONNECTIVITY

CATEGORY WEIGHT

If data centers are the brain of the modern economy, fiber networks serve as the nervous system that allow it to move and thrive. Billions of dollars are invested each year in constructing and maintaining these high-speed networks, with telecommunications companies, infrastructure funds and private equity firms fighting for market share. While a data center requires access to just one network to function, the greater the number of networks means the more the facility can prosper. Faster, denser fiber generally allows for the lowest latency and better overall network reliability, particularly when functioning with major cloud services. Fiber networks can be short-haul and cross a metropolitan area, or longer haul to move data across the country or even past borders. Areas with the highest number of networks are found in densely populated regions of the United States with established data center markets, including Silicon Valley, Dallas and Northern Virginia. These areas form the original backbones of technical and telecom research in the country, and the historical advantage continues today.

NOTE: While fiber maps were available for nearly all global markets, information throughout East Asia regarding fiber remains very limited. We would like to acknowledge that due to the importance of fiber and the lack of clear information therein, these markets finish slightly lower in total scoring for this reason.

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