Raxio Group has announced the inauguration
of its state-of-the-art data centre in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Raxio Côte
d’Ivoire (CIV1). Marking the fifth data centre launch in its current portfolio
and the company’s third consecutive launch this year alone, with Tier III
accreditation by international industry body the Uptime Institute, Raxio aims
to play a pivotal role in the country’s digital growth.
The data centre which will be known as CIV1
is the country’s first Tier III certified carrier-neutral and cloud-neutral
facility and its presence in the fastest growing economy in francophone West
Africa will drive appetite for data consumption and local content by all
digital users. The facility is fully
equipped with best-of-breed technology and capable of housing up to 800
racks at full capacity and delivering 3MW of IT power to customer equipment.
The launch of this cutting-edge
facility marks Raxio Group’s entry into West Africa. As the regional hub for
the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU),
which includes Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger,
Senegal, and Togo, Raxio CIV1 is strategically located to serve this economic
block, with regulation allowing storage and movement of data by the banking
industry and other financial institutions within the territory.
“The inauguration of our Abidjan data centre
establishes us firmly in West Africa, a key growth sector for our continued
expansion,” said Robert Mullins, CEO of Raxio Group. “Abidjan is the ideal
location for organisations and businesses from across the economic region to
collocate their mission critical infrastructure in a highly reliable and secure
facility. We are proud to contribute a fundamental cornerstone to facilitate
Côte d’Ivoire’s continued digital growth and cement its hub status in the region.”
Situated in the Village of Innovation and Technology (VITIB)
approximately 30KM from the city centre of Abidjan, Raxio CIV1 is supported by
multiple paths for power and fibre connections, and cutting-edge redundant
equipment, which underpin its Tier III certification. The 24/7 “always-on”
facility is positioned along key fibre routes, delivering best-in-class
colocation and excellent domestic and international connectivity, with six
connectivity providers currently supplying fibre to the facility. CIV1 will
also serve as host to the country's Internet Exchange Point (CIVIX) allowing
for low-cost interconnection of local and international traffic in an optimal,
carrier-neutral environment.
From this location, Raxio CIV1 will be
serving customers in Abidjan and in the wider WAEMU
region – and across a wide range of sectors – at a time when digital
transformation, data and content consumption, and connectivity are all
increasing at historic rates.
The new facility at VITIB includes feeds allowing Raxio to incorporate
renewable energy and provide its services in the most sustainable way. As with all its data centres, Raxio Côte
d’Ivoire was built with sustainability practices from its energy-efficient
design and environmentally conscious processes. The facility is equipped with
latest-generation technologies that not only ensure maximum operational
effectiveness but also deliver environmental efficiencies. Raxio’s design and
equipment choices are adapted to local environmental and climatic conditions,
allowing this facility to reach Power Usage Efficiency (PUE) ratios unrivalled
on the African continent.
“At Raxio,
we are extremely proud to be among the key enablers that are driving digital
inclusion in Côte d’Ivoire,” said Raphael Konan, General Manager, Ivory Coast.
“We are looking forward to welcoming customers into
an international-standard and industry accredited data centre environment that
is also a prime example of our ability to build
sustainable facilities.”
Raxio continues to see strong momentum
behind the roll-out of its pan-African Data Centre footprint. Appetite for data
centre capacity is growing not just amongst local enterprises and the public
sector, but increasingly from some of the world’s largest hyperscale Cloud
Service Providers, Content Delivery Networks and Mobile Network Operators as
they strengthen their networks and market presence on the continent.
With the widest footprint of any data
centre provider on the continent, Raxio’s strategy is to address the
significant demand for high-quality data infrastructure across Africa, while
contributing to closing the sub-Saharan connectivity gap. Since opening its
first data centre in Uganda in 2021, Raxio has expanded this year into
Mozambique and Democratic Republic of Congo. The launch of the Côte d’Ivoire
data centre marks the opening of Raxio’s fifth facility with facilities in
Angola and Tanzania coming next.
