US-based IT services and IT consulting provider Digital Realty has announced plans to develop a new data centre in Rome, Italy.

The first data centre, which is named ROM1, is a tier four facility in accordance with the Uptime Institute.

This 22ha property is 15km away from the shore and is a suitable connecting point for additional subsea cables that will dock in Rome.

Digital Realty Italy managing director Alessandro Talotta said: “The delivery of a carrier-neutral facility in Rome will help enable the digital transformation strategies of local enterprises and global customers in the region.

“Our customers will greatly benefit from the facility being highly connected to both terrestrial and subsea cable networks.”

The company has recently completed the acquisition and preliminary development planning of land for the centre.

Construction of this facility is planned to begin in the fourth quarter of this year.

The expansion is expected to further solidify Digital Realty’s position as the top supplier of digital infrastructure capacity in the Mediterranean region.

In addition to Rome, the company has a presence in Athens, Marseille, and Zagreb. It is also constructing hubs in Tel Aviv, Crete, and Barcelona.

Rome’s Internet Exchange NAMEX and Digital Realty share the same vision to transform the Italian capital into a major Mediterranean connectivity centre.

NAMEX CEO Maurizio Goretti said: “Digital Realty’s pedigree in developing highly connected data communities in carrier-neutral connectivity hubs is a critical ingredient in the achievement of this goal.”