One of the biggest IPv6-native Internet backbone operators in the world, Hurricane Electric, has announced the deployment of its second Point of Presence (PoP) in Greece at Balkan Gate in Thessaloniki. Featuring 400 racks and 2500 m2 of uniquely built colocation space (with plans to expand to 10,000 m2), Balkan Gate is a Tier III data center.
Thessaloniki’s closeness to North Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria, and Turkey would make it an important digital hub with links to Italy, the Middle East, Africa, and other regions. Thanks to its advantageous location in the Mediterranean and its quickly developing network infrastructure, Thessaloniki has become a top destination for connectivity, according to Hurricane Electric.
Hurricane Electric’s new Point of Presence (PoP), its second facility in Greece, would provide the area with improved fault tolerance, load balancing, and congestion control in the provision of next-generation IP connectivity services.
“We are ecstatic to announce our Point of Presence in the dynamic city of Thessaloniki,” said Hurricane Electric President Mike Leber. “The city is a major hub for culture and the economy in the area, and its advantageous location and rich history make it a great place to grow our network. We are thrilled to expand the reach of our services to the companies and localities in this vibrant region of the globe.”
Hurricane Electric’s Global Network
Through 100GE (100 Gigabit Ethernet), 10GE (10 Gigabit Ethernet), and GigE (1 Gigabit Ethernet) ports, Hurricane Electric‘s massive IPv4 and IPv6 network is now accessible to Balkan Gate customers as well as companies in and around southern Europe.
In addition, users of the facility can exchange IP traffic with Hurricane Electric‘s extensive worldwide network, which provides over 10,000 different networks with over 30,000 BGP sessions through 310 primary exchange points and hundreds of private and client peering ports.
As a carrier-neutral Tier III data center, Balkan Gate Thessaloniki has direct connections to the main telecom operators in Greece and the Balkans. In addition to owning and operating this data center and two other data centers in Athens and Thessaloniki, Lancom is a prominent provider of data center, cloud, and telecommunications services in Greece. It also manages a unique fiber optic network that connects Greece to the rest of the globe. A dynamic communications route in the Southeastern Mediterranean and the wider Balkans will be established by Lancom’s recent investment in Heraklion, Crete.
George Nolis, CEO of Lancom, stated, “We are very excited about Hurricane Electric‘s decision to expand its presence in Greece, especially in our Data Center, Balkan Gate Thessaloniki. This move confirms Northern Greece’s position as the Balkans’ digital center while also improving the region’s connectivity offerings. We are excited about the prospects this relationship will bring to our clients and the region as a firm that runs three data centers in Greece and is planning one in Crete.”
