As internet consumption and data volumes grow, the need for server and storage space is ever increasing. More and more organisations are under pressure to increase bandwidth to deliver connected, personalised experiences and need the ability to scale and grow within their existing data centre campus.

To meet this growing demand for secure and resilient colocation services, and as part of our European growth strategy, we are expanding the iconic London Docklands campus with the addition of Telehouse South, located at Blackwall Yard. The construction activities of our fifth data centre in London are well underway, and the facility is on track to open in early 2022. Connected to the main campus, Telehouse South will offer 31,000 sqm of gross floor space over six floors with a total power capacity of 15 MW (2.5KW per floor).

In this blog, we glimpse inside the new data centre and provide an update on the initial phase of the build, including the installation of the dark fibre routes and the associated benefits for customers.

What is dark fibre?

Simply speaking, dark fibre is unused (or unlit) fibre optic cables without any service or traffic running over them, hence the ‘dark’ part. When properly designed and diversely routed, data fibre networks help facilitate a seamless and reliable direct connection between two or more locations.

After completing the excavation of the trenches at Telehouse South, we were able to install diverse dark fibre routes, located approximately 300 metres away from the main campus. Each with a capacity of over 15,000 single mode dark fibres, the dark fibre network has made it possible to integrate Telehouse South with the main London Docklands campus, turning the new facility into a leading connectivity hub and part of the most connected data centre campus in Europe.

Facilitating crucial interconnections

The installation of the dark fibre network at Telehouse South will enable customers to benefit from the same unrivalled connectivity currently offered in our existing Docklands data centres. Customers that make the Telehouse South facility their home will be able to form key business interconnections for sustained growth, leveraging the 800+ connectivity partners available at the campus. This includes global internet exchanges, such as the London Internet Exchange, ISPs, and major mobile, cloud, network and content providers. Customers will benefit from the resilient connectivity to the world’s leading public and private cloud providers, including Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services.

Like all our facilities, Telehouse South is also a carrier-neutral data centre. This allows customers to connect with the best partners and providers to support their objectives and enhance their services, enabling them to stand out from the competition.

Find out more details about colocation interconnections at Telehouse.

The benefits of dark fibre

Aside from crucial interconnections, the development of the dark fibre network offers a number of additional benefits, including:

  1. Complete control

Dark fibre at Telehouse South enables businesses to gain full control of their IT estate, develop their own network strategy and manage capacity. Not only can organisations decide which providers they want to work with, but they can expand and maintain their networks and control costs.

  1. Instant scalability

Having full control also means organisations can easily scale up as and when required. Telehouse South customers will enjoy near limitless scalability to allow them to grow and thrive in the future.

  1. Unlimited bandwidth

Dark fibre bandwidth is virtually infinite, therefore businesses collocating at our new data centre will be able to future-proof themselves against the need for greater bandwidth capacity and will enjoy faster data transmission and optimal connectivity.

  1. Cost effectiveness

When trying to extend out the network under typical network service arrangements, businesses can encounter unpredictable and large costs. With a diverse dark fibre network at Telehouse South, customers will be able to easily increase their bandwidth capacity and scale up, expanding their businesses in a more cost-effective way.

  1. Resilience and security

Dark fibre offers higher security as businesses do not share the connection with anyone else. Such a private network at Telehouse South will allow organisations to easily implement their data security protocols and access their sensitive, real-time data without any worries. As dark fibre networks permit data to travel the most direct path, businesses will benefit from faster data speeds and reduced latency, resulting in greater resilience.

The highest building security

On top of the data security benefits that dark fibre offers, the Telehouse South building will also meet the highest levels of security, including trained staff, electronic access management, proximity access control systems and CCTV. All customers will be offered a 24/7 support function and access to their IT equipment at any time.

Benefit from unrivalled connectivity

Dark fibre provides a fast, secure, flexible and cost-effective way to deliver a high-performance

As we proceed with the next stage, you can find out more details about the dark fibre network at Telehouse South and other benefits of collocating with Telehouse by checking out our fact sheet. Alternatively, contact our team today to reserve your space.

Contact us

Telehouse International Corporation of Europe, Coriander Avenue, London, E14 2AA
T: +44 (0) 20 7512 0550
E: [email protected]


About Telehouse
Telehouse is a leading global data centre service provider with more than 40 data centres in over 10 countries. It brings together more than 3,000 customers including carriers, mobile and content providers, enterprises and financial services companies.
Established over 30 years ago, Telehouse provides reliable, secure and flexible colocation, enabling organisations to accelerate speed to market and create business opportunities through fast, efficient and secure interconnections.
The Telehouse London Docklands campus is Europe’s most connected data centre campus. The organisation is a driving force for sustainability in the data centre industry and powers its data centres with electricity from 100% renewable sources. For more information visit: https://telehousewebsi.wpengine.com/