Carrier-neutral data centre service comes to Djibouti

What did your agreement with the Djibouti Sovereign Wealth Fund following last year’s Djibouti Forum entail?

The collaboration with the Djibouti Sovereign Wealth Fund (FSD) was a strategic step in the development of our data centre project in this region. Djibouti was chosen because of its strategic geographical position, being a major hub for submarine cables and interconnection in East Africa. This gives us direct access to global digital markets and strengthens our position in the region. 

The FSD and Djibouti Télécom are playing a key role in this project, facilitating access to local resources, ensuring smooth collaboration with the authorities and offering technical support to ensure the project’s success. 

Since the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU), we have been working on the development of deployment plans and have already begun the first stages of implementation. The timetable envisages a gradual launch, with the first phases of the project operational in the next 12 to 18 months.

What are the outlines of the data centre project? 

The data centre project in Djibouti is designed to meet the growing needs for connectivity and data storage in the region. The data centre will be equipped with the latest security, cooling and energy management technologies, and will offer scalable hosting capacities, with a substantial initial investment to guarantee the sustainability and performance of the facilities. 

The project provides colocation capacities for a wide range of local and international companies. It will also offer interconnection services and cloud solutions tailored to the needs of different sectors, while promoting integration with submarine cables and other connectivity infrastructures. 

We have strategic partnerships with technology companies and infrastructure experts to ensure a successful rollout. We are currently in the design phase and plan to roll out the project in stages over the next few months, with the gradual commissioning of the facilities.

What impact do you expect this to have on Djibouti’s digital and telecoms systems?

We anticipate a major positive impact on Djibouti’s digital and telecoms ecosystem. By providing a modern data centre infrastructure, we will improve local and international connectivity, which is essential to support the country’s digital economy and to attract more investment. 

Local businesses will have access to scalable colocation solutions and cloud services, enabling them to focus on their core operations without having to worry about the complex management of their IT infrastructure. 

The project will also increase Djibouti’s attractiveness to international companies, particularly those in the telecommunications, finance and technology sectors, which will seek to benefit from reliable connectivity, proximity to submarine cables and local hosting solutions. 

This will create a more competitive and dynamic environment for the entire regional ecosystem.

Djibouti is a hub for submarine cables and interconnection in Africa. How does your project fit into this?

The PAIX Data Centres project in Djibouti fits perfectly into this strategic dynamic. Djibouti is a major crossroads for the submarine cables that connect Africa to other continents, particularly Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Thanks to this advantageous geographical position, we are able to offer fast, low-latency connectivity solutions for companies seeking to access global markets. 

Our project stands out from existing players thanks to our carrier-neutral model, which allows companies to freely choose their service providers and have full control over their digital infrastructure. 

We are also planning long-term expansion with new sites and additional services as demand for cloud and connectivity solutions evolves in the region.