Colt reaches 55 metro networks as AI build-out pulls its network south and east - Capacity

The investment adds three European metro networks and new long-haul routes as hyperscalers, neoscalers and wholesale providers scale their AI infrastructure. The new metros are Warsaw, Bordeaux and Berlin, which take Colt’s total to 55 metro networks. Alongside them, the company has added: A new point of presence in Johannesburg, South Africa A 600km-plus long-distance network between Osaka and Fukuoka in Japan, with further expansion planned across West Japan A fibre upgrade on the Marseille to Milan route New fibre overlays and upgraded duct infrastructure across Europe Connections to Colt’s network at up to 400G Colt did not disclose the value of the investment.

As a list, the announcement reads as a footprint update. On a map, it shows a pattern. Most of the new capacity sits away from Europe’s traditional western hubs.

It is concentrated on the southern and eastern gateways that link Europe to Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The southern corridor The Marseille to Milan upgrade is the clearest example. Marseille is an established interconnection hub for cables crossing the Mediterranean, including the ViaTunisia segment of the Medusa system, which reached ready for service in June.

Upgrading fibre between Marseille and Milan, Italy’s main interconnection market, gives traffic landing on Europe’s southern coast another route into the continent. Johannesburg sits at the other end of that axis. New Europe to Africa systems are in development, including the Orange-backed Via Africa cable planned to run from the UK, France and Portugal to South Africa.

As they progress, terrestrial carriers need presence where those routes terminate. Colt said the new PoP adds route diversity alongside enhancements to its existing fibre network. Further west, Bordeaux joins a build-out along the Spain to France border.

In May, Colt completed its owned fibre network in Zaragoza. The company positioned that network as part of a cross-border route to France via the Somport Tunnel. East to the Gulf and Asia The release also points to deeper reach into Dubai and Türkiye.

This builds on Colt’s February decision to lease capacity on the EIG, Falcon and Hawk subsea systems linking Europe and Asia with the Middle East. It also follows a second Istanbul PoP added in May. In Asia, the Osaka to Fukuoka network extends Colt’s terrestrial footprint west from its existing Japanese base.

In March, Colt launched a transpacific route on the Juno cable between Tokyo and Los Angeles. That followed a February expansion that connected the US East Coast to Europe via Marea and a new New York to Ashburn to Virginia Beach backbone. Connecting compute, not just building capacity Colt is framing the programme around interconnection rather than raw bandwidth.

The company says it connects to 1,100 data centres globally and claims to connect more data centres in Europe than any other provider. Joe Scattareggia, EVP for infrastructure and connectivity sales at Colt, said AI readiness “is about more than building capacity”. He argued that as AI infrastructure scales, “connectivity becomes a critical differentiator”.

He also said success depends on collaboration across carriers, cloud providers, data centres and technology partners. That argument will be tested in London this week. Colt is a sponsor of Capacity Europe 2026, which runs from 13 to 15 October, and its executives appear across the programme: Avijit Singh, chief strategy officer, gives the opening keynote on the Market Forces Stage on Tuesday morning, titled The Convergence Moment.

Joe Scattareggia joins the AI Build Stage opening panel, Beyond Silos: Building Europe’s Converged Digital Infrastructure. He will share the stage with Digital Realty, Equinix, NTT Data and Google. Buddy Bayer, chief operating officer, speaks on Wednesday’s Banking Fibre Beyond Tier One panel on the Fibre Investment Stage.

For a full preview of the event, see 5 questions that will define Capacity Europe 2026 and 8 panels to watch. RELATED STORIES Colt boosts transpacific network with new US–Asia routes Colt expands USA-Europe connectivity with new subsea and fibre routes Colt targets Middle East growth with subsea connectivity expansion Orange-backed consortium launches Via Africa subsea cable linking Europe to South Africa What’s driving Africa’s digital future? 5 questions that will define Capacity Europe 2026 Capacity Europe 2026 13 October 2026 The 25th anniversary edition of Capacity Europe 2025 will bring together 3,500+ decision-makers from the global connectivity and digital infrastructure community.