Brightlio Blog

In the ever-evolving realm of data management, colocation is crucial for businesses to effectively manage and protect their digital infrastructure. Houston data centers emerges as an exceptionally compelling choice for firms in need of robust and reliable colocation services.

This bustling Texas metropolis not only offers a vibrant ecosystem of connectivity and infrastructure. It also provides strategic geographical advantages that serve both national and international business needs. Let’s delve into why Houston should be a top consideration for colocation services.

Houston Offers a Dynamic Economic Landscape

Houston, Texas, the fourth largest city in the United States, boasts a metro population of over 6.7 million people. The city’s economy is remarkably robust and diverse, with strong footholds in the energy, aeronautics, and healthcare sectors.

Known as the world’s energy capital, Houston has more than 500 oil and gas exploration and production firms. The city hosts the prestigious Texas Medical Center—the world’s largest concentration of healthcare and research institutions. It is also home to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where astronaut training, research, and flight control are conducted. The city has also seen substantial technological and manufacturing growth in recent years. This broad-based economic strength combines to give it a GDP of over $500 billion, accounting for approximately 28% of the economic output of the State of Texas.

Houston’s Strategic Location

Situated within a close radius of key economic hubs like Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio, Houston’s central location ensures superior connectivity to these bustling markets. Moreover, the city acts as a strategic gateway to the Southeast United States. It provides efficient, high-speed connectivity to significant markets such as New Orleans and Atlanta.

The connectivity advantage for Houston colocation services extends beyond the domestic sphere, offering low-latency access to international markets. Houston boasts an extensive network of terrestrial fiber-optic cables that connects its data centers to submarine cable landing points in Florida, the primary hub for connections to Latin America. This interconnected network ensures fast, reliable, and secure data transfer to service Latin American markets.

Cost-Efficient Power

The cost of power drives the cost of data center services. Your business realizes substantial savings by leveraging a colocation data center in a market with lower power prices.

The Texas power market is deregulated. This commercial freedom invites high competition among energy providers, driving the overall prices down and allowing businesses to select a provider that best fits their needs. Texas offers some of the lowest industrial electricity rates in the country. The financial impact of these lower energy costs allows Houston colocation facilities to offer competitively priced services without compromising on the quality of service delivery.

But the conversation doesn’t end with traditional power sources. Texas leads the nation in renewable energy production, particularly wind power. Houston is also gaining significant momentum in the solar power market. As data centers tap into these renewable resources, they gain access to a cost-efficient energy supply that also fulfills corporate social responsibility objectives.

Enhanced Connectivity and Bandwidth

Positioned strategically at the intersection of numerous national and international data routes, Houston stands out as a critical technological hub renowned for its superior connectivity and bandwidth capabilities. Houston data centers provide extensive network infrastructure that includes several key Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), such as the Houston Internet Exchange (HOUIX), one of the primary IXPs in the southern United States. HOUIX offers businesses access to peering services from six locations and with 35 participating ASNs, enhancing connectivity and reducing latency.

Furthermore, Houston is a prominent point of presence (PoP) for major carriers, including AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon. These carriers have extensive fiber optic networks sprawling across the city and reaching into the data centers, ensuring high-speed, reliable connections for colocation customers.

Houston also serves as a junction point for multiple long-haul fiber routes, connecting east to the west coast and reaching up north to Chicago. Companies using Houston colocation services can capitalize on these fiber paths to ensure fast and secure data transmission across the continent. This also makes Houston colocation an optimal disaster recovery site.

Key Houston Colocation Providers

The Houston, Texas, colocation market boasts 41 data centers and growing. Below are a few of the major service providers in the city:

Digital Realty Houston

Digital Realty’s IAH10 data center at 12001 North Freeway, is a crucial player in Houston’s digital landscape. This downtown Houston facility is notable for its robust network access with 15+ cloud and network service providers. The site boasts 50,000 square feet of colocation space and 8 kW of total power capacity.

Equinix Houston

Situated at 12003 Aurora Street, Equinix’s Houston data center, HO1, connects customers to over 3,600 energy companies and suppliers. The site boasts over 75,000 square feet of data center capacity, and the ability to interconnect with over 25 companies.

Netrality Houston

Located at 1301 Fannin in the heart of downtown Houston, Netrality’s Houston data center is a state-of-the-art facility. Formerly owned by Internap, Netrality acquired the site in June 2020. It boasts 26,000 square feet of data center space, and a location convenient to downtown business.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are many benefits associated with colocation in Houston, Texas. As businesses prepare for future expansion and seek to establish a reliable presence in the digital realm, Houstong colocation services presents a strategic advantage. Offering a blend of connectivity, affordability, and access to a significant market base, it is an excellent choice for clients looking for data center rack space.

Are You Looking for a Houston Data Center? Brightlio Can Help!

Brightlio is a telecommunications broker specializing in colocation. Our consultative approach combines with our network of global partners to deliver the best overall value for our clients. If you are looking for a top colocation facility or data center in the Houston area, or in other global markets, we can help. Our data center partners offer fully managed colocation, managed services, remote hands, dedicated servers, and more from carrier neutral colocation facilities.

Additionally, we offer other services, including bandwidth, unified communications, public cloud, and advisory services. This allows us to meet a broad spectrum of your IT needs. Quotes and solution designs are always free. We are committed to being your most trusted and responsive IT solutions provider.

Contact Brightlio today!