Key takeaways
- EXA Infrastructure is extending its DWDM backbone into Finland, connecting Helsinki to Stockholm
- The expansion extends EXA’s direct presence to 37 countries across Europe and North America
- Existing customers gain broader service offerings in Finland, including 400G and Spectrum
- The extension links to the Havfrue transatlantic system, giving a direct connection between the US and Finland that avoids the FLAP countries
- Finland’s market demand is projected to grow at a CAGR of 32% over the next five years, according to Telegeography
DWDM backbone extended to Finland
EXA Infrastructure, Europe’s largest dedicated digital infrastructure platform, connecting North America and Asia via the Middle East, has reached a significant milestone in its network expansion strategy, announcing the extension of its DWDM backbone into Finland. EXA Infrastructure footprint will connect Helsinki to Stockholm, enhancing the company’s coverage in the Nordics and extending its direct presence to 37 countries across Europe and North America.
Why Finland
This strategic expansion aims to provide broader service offerings to EXA's existing customer base – including 400G and Spectrum - while fostering healthy competition in the local market. With Finland’s market demand projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 32% over the next five years, according to Telegeography, the region is set for rapid expansion. The growth is being driven, in part, by the deployment of artificial intelligence technologies, as Finland boasts the largest concentration of deployed data center capacity in the Nordics, nearing 240MW, with the majority located in Helsinki.[1]
Finland market facts
- Market demand projected to grow at a CAGR of 32% over the next five years (Telegeography)
- Largest concentration of deployed data center capacity in the Nordics, nearing 240MW
- The majority of that capacity is located in Helsinki
- Growth driven in part by the deployment of artificial intelligence technologies
Link to the Havfrue system
Earlier this year, EXA Infrastructure entered a strategic partnership with Bulk Infrastructure on the Havfrue Transatlantic system, which connects US to Norway and Denmark. The new expansion into Finland further extends the Havfrue system integration into EXA’s extensive digital backbone and provides a direct and fast connection between US and Finland, avoiding the FLAP countries.
What the executives said
Steve Roberts, Senior Vice President of Strategic Investments at EXA Infrastructure, commented on the expansion: “This investment opens Finland as a new market for EXA, aligning with our vision of connecting more strategic locations to our network. Finland is emerging as a key hub for subsea cable systems and hyperscale data centers, and we are proud to contribute to the country’s infrastructure development with our advanced network.”
Jim Fagan, CEO of EXA Infrastructure, added: “the Nordic countries are rapidly emerging as Europe’s new digital infrastructure hub, driven by the availability of abundant green energy. The region is attracting major investments from global cloud hyperscalers and multi-tenant datacenter providers. This is driving an incredible demand for resilient, scalable and diverse connectivity infrastructure to fuel the growth of this dynamic ecosystem.”
About EXA Infrastructure
EXA Infrastructure is an award-winning portfolio company of I Squared Capital and the largest dedicated digital infrastructure platform throughout Europe, connecting North America and Asia via the Middle East. With over 20 years of experience in building resilient networks, EXA Infrastructure provides the critical modern infrastructure and unrivalled engineering expertise that serves as the backbone for digital and economic growth. This includes mission-critical networks for governments and enterprises, hyperscale infrastructure for the world’s most innovative and influential businesses, and ultra-low latency, high bandwidth networks for financial, gaming and broadcast services.
Headquartered in London, the company owns 155,000 kilometres of fibre network across 37 countries, including six transatlantic cables and the lowest latency link between Europe and North America. For more information, see exainfra.net
Source
[1] source – Used Int’l Bandwidth by Country, Telegeography
