NEWS
Digital Realty and EXA Infrastructure partner to advance Crete as a major connectivity hub
D igital Realty has announced the activation of a point of presence( PoP) in collaboration with EXA Infrastructure( EXA) to bring enhanced connectivity solutions to Crete.
The partnership will support the development of Digital Realty’ s first data centre in Crete, HER1 – scheduled to become operational in early 2025 with an expected initial capacity of 1 MW.
HER1 will serve as the first carrier-neutral facility in Crete, with intentions of addressing a significant gap in the region by allowing international and regional subsea cables to interconnect, a transformative step toward making Greece a major connectivity hub for Southern and Eastern Europe, as well as regions beyond.
Fabrice Coquio, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Europe Med, Digital Realty, said:“ By leveraging EXA’ s extensive network capabilities, HER1 will not only bridge critical connectivity gaps in the Mediterranean but also further position Greece as a strategic gateway for data traffic between Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, and beyond.” connectivity landscape, EXA will deliver robust connectivity between Eastern and Western Mediterranean.”
Extending connectivity further into Eastern and Central Europe, including key locations such as Zagreb and Vienna, EXA will also offer network links between Heraklion and Chania on Crete using HER1 as an interconnection facility to exchange traffic and optimise capacities.
Steve Roberts, Senior Vice President Network Investment and Product Management, EXA, said:“ Strengthening Crete’ s
Market turmoil battering confidence as UK small business growth outlook hits four-year low
T he percentage of UK small businesses predicting growth has fallen to a four-year low( 29 %) – with significant falls in the manufacturing, construction and retail sectors – according to new figures from Novuna Business
Finance. Nationally, growth outlook now stands at its lowest level since Q1 2021( 26 %), and – if the first lockdown periods are taken out the equation – it is the first quarter in 11 years when the percentage of small businesses predicting growth has fallen below 30 %.
The current position stands in stark contrast to last summer, when the‘ election bounce’ of a new government saw an immediate upturn in small business confidence, as 35 % predicted growth. Two budgets later and with tariff chaos gripping the economy – small business forecasts are falling to a new low.
The research findings are the latest from Novuna Business Finance’ s Business Barometer study, which has tracked the percentage of small business owners that predict growth every quarter for the last 11 years. �
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