Data Centre Boost for City's Growing Digital Sector

Data Centre Boost for City's Growing Digital Sector PR Newswire LEEDS, England, November 22, 2012 LEEDS, England, November 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Leeds digital sector is forging ahead with a new £43 million data centre from telecoms firm aql, to be built on the city's South Bank. aql are working with Leeds and Partners to drive forward the region's digital strategy and the new centre - the UK's largest independent data centre outside London - could attract more major players in the industry to join existing names such as Cogent, SSE Telecom, Level (3), Janet and Fujitsu. Already aql is working closely with these operators to connect the city - and current projects include a 100 Gigabit connection to e-health operator EMIS. Plans to roll out high speed broadband are also underway in Leeds and the facility, known as DC4, will act as a hub of international networks. It will allow local companies to rent secure IT storage space that minimises the chance of disruption to their business and will be used to house computer systems and associated components such as telecommunications and storage systems for aql's public and private sector clients. Dr Adam Beaumont, chief executive of aql, said that until the last couple of years, internet service providers have had to direct Leeds internet traffic via London.