Equinix opens ME1 data centre in Melbourne

Equinix has announced that its ME1 data centre, the company’s first International Business Exchange (IBX) facility in Melbourne, is now fully operational.

The facility has opened with 375 cabinets and was built with an initial investment of US$60 million ($76.1 million). Equinix plans to expand the facility in the future to encompass 1125 cabinets and over 9754 square metres of floor space.

Melbourne businesses will be able to use the facility to connect with Equinix's ecosystem of around 1000 networks globally, including 130 in Australia.

Equinix completed first-stage construction of ME1 during the fourth quarter of last year. The company has already signed up more than 40 customers, including Telstra, Vocus Communications and a number of cloud and IT service providers.

The ME1 is Equinix’s fourth data centre in Australia - the company has three facilities operational in Sydney.

“In the modern digital economy, data centres are vital pieces of infrastructure, and this expansion is very much to be welcomed,” commented Paul Fletcher MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Communications.

“ME1 is an impressive facility which will offer new opportunities for companies to interconnect and in turn help to enrich Australia's digital economy.”

Pictured: Equinix's ME1 data centre.