Study: Global Colocation Supply Tightens

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More colocation providers are struggling to keep up with demand, according to market data from the research firm TeleGeography. More than 41 percent of global colocation sites surveyed by TeleGeography were at least 80 percent full at mid-2010, up from 34 percent of sites a year earlier.

"While a fair amount of space remains available, demand has been outstripping supply," said TeleGeography analyst Jon Hjembo. "Operators surveyed by TeleGeography had less space available at mid-year 2010 than they did a year earlier, even though they added 1.5 million square feet of new colo space and 124 megawatts of power during those 12 months."

The data is based on surveys of 708 colocation providers in major markets around the globe as TeleGeography compiled its annual Colocation Database, the firm's online guide to global colo service providers and sites.

In its analysis, TeleGeography noted that both new supply and ongoing demand are particularly strong in established major colocation markets. In Europe, colo providers have invested heavily in new facilities in London, Frankfurt, and Paris, while in the U.S., they have deployed most of their new capacity in the San Francisco, Washington, and New York metropolitan areas.

"Despite the new development, average colocation space and power availability in cities such as London, Washington, and San Francisco has persistently remained at 25 percent or less," the firm noted. London was the market with the least supply, with less than 10 percent of total built space currently available.

Some data points from TeleGeography's analysis:

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