Sparkle, a leading international service provider in Italy and a top global operator, has partnered with Trans Ocean Network, a telecommunications company based in Panama, to launch Panama Digital Gateway. This state-of-the-art data centre is set to become the premier digital hub for Central America, the Andean region, and the Caribbean, offering green open landing and connectivity solutions.
Panama Digital Gateway represents a next-generation, carrier-neutral facility and is the first green data centre in Panama. With cutting-edge technologies and infrastructure, it is designed to meet the diverse requirements of customers. Strategically located in Corozal, Panama City, the facility boasts 5,500 square metres of space, accommodating up to 650 equivalent racks and scalable power of 3.5 MW. It has been constructed in accordance with rigorous anti-seismic standards and incorporates the latest energy-efficient power and cooling systems available, ensuring maximum reliability and performance while minimising environmental impact.
The data centre is seamlessly integrated with Sparkle’s extensive global backbone, which spans over 600,000 kilometres of fibre, connecting Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia. Panama Digital Gateway serves as the landing point for Curie, a cable system developed by Google and Sparkle that connects California to Chile, with a branching unit in Panama. Additionally, it provides connectivity for upcoming submarine cables seeking diversified entry points into Central America, solidifying Panama’s position as a strategic digital hub bridging North and South America. Notably, this infrastructure enables Colombia to benefit from a direct, low-latency route to the US West Coast through PDG and the Curie extension.
By establishing a presence within this new hub, OTTs (Over-The-Top providers), carriers, financial institutions, and corporations gain access to Sparkle’s comprehensive global connectivity services. These services include the renowned Tier-1 IP transit service, Seabone, as well as capacity solutions and networking services. Moreover, clients can leverage direct access to submarine cables, which offer enhanced performance and resilience. Submarine systems act as information highways, enabling lightning-fast, real-time digital services, and the availability of such infrastructure further amplifies the value proposition of Panama Digital Gateway.
Fabrizio Nicoletti, Ambassador of the Republic of Italy in Panama, said: “Panama and Italy have a historic relationship working closely in collaboration and coordination programmes of different disciplines, fostering international cooperation between the two countries. We are very proud to have a first level Italian enterprise as Sparkle making possible this data centre, a tangible demonstration of Italy’s growing interest in Panama and in the Region”.
“Panama Digital Gateway consolidates and positions Panama as the digital hub of the region, strengthening the connectivity of our Country, and becoming a strategic interconnection offer for OTTs, carriers and enterprises”, stated David Gonzalez Solis, CEO of Trans Ocean Network. “We are very pleased to be participating in the construction and operation of this open hub in conjunction with a partner of experience and global scale such as Sparkle.”
“The development of infrastructures in the Americas represents a pillar of Sparkle’s plan to consolidate its positioning in the telecommunications wholesale market while reinforcing its offering of digital solutions”, explained Enrico Maria Bagnasco, CEO of Sparkle. “Panama is a natural crossroad of Central America and a bridge between the Atlantic and the Pacific as well as a strategic cross-point between North and South America, and our Panama Digital Gateway aims to be the reference landing hub of new submarine cables and the centre of choice to develop an ecosystem of interconnected players.”
