Originally posted to Telecom Newsroom

Edge data centers remain a hot category in data center site selection, which will continue into 2018 and beyond, according to a recent report MarketsandMarkets. Consumer demand for high bandwidth services and business demand for high capacity needs such as the Internet of Things (IoT) are just some of the primary drivers impacting demand for edge data centers. Other industries that see the benefit to edge data centers include retail, manufacturing, healthcare and financial firms, especially in underserved markets. The research firm projects that the edge data center market is expected to surge from $1.5 billion one year ago to $6.7 billion in 2022, at a compound annual growth rate of 35 percent.

Just recently, DC BLOX announced the development of a new data center facility in Birmingham, Alabama, a currently undeserved market with enormous growth potential. The Atlanta-based provider of data center, network and cloud services at the edge plans to use the 27-acre, former Trinity Steel site in downtown Birmingham to develop a technology and innovation campus that will drive the digital economy in Birmingham and across Alabama.  

“The significant investment being made by DC BLOX to open this data center in Birmingham will not only create high-paying jobs, but also bring an exciting new chapter to a neighborhood in the city with a long industrial history,” Alabama Governor Kay Ivey commented about the development. “We’re committed to positioning Alabama for a technology-focused future and look forward to working with the company to accelerate that process.”

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