How Colt Technology is Meeting Growing AI Demand

In a bid to strengthen one of the world’s busiest data corridors as AI workloads increase capacity requirements, Colt Technology Services has expanded its US network with new high-bandwidth routes linking the East Coast of the US and Europe. 

The move targets telecoms operators, cloud providers and enterprises that require resilient, low latency connectivity across the Atlantic. 

Where route diversity and performance are central, the development widens the range of Colt-owned options available between major US hubs and European landing points. Large cloud and content providers are among the first to benefit from Colt’s expanded infrastructure, as AI, cloud computing and streaming services generate data-heavy traffic flows across international routes.

Meeting transatlantic capacity demand

Demand for international bandwidth continues to grow as AI, cloud computing and streaming services generate data-heavy traffic flows. Transatlantic subsea cables carry 55% more data than transpacific routes, underlining the importance of the US–Europe link for global operators.

On major routes, large cloud and content providers account for more than 80% of all international bandwidth usage, and global used bandwidth has tripled since 2020, placing pressure on subsea systems and terrestrial backbones.

Colt provides capacity on the Marea subsea cable, which runs from Virginia Beach – around 200 miles south of Washington DC on the US east coast – to Bilbao in northern Spain. Securing capacity on Marea strengthens Colt’s ability to offer direct, high-capacity paths between North America and southern Europe.

This subsea capacity forms part of a broader programme that includes investment in new high bandwidth fibre routes between key Atlantic cable landing stations.

These terrestrial builds link landing points to core data centre clusters, ensuring subsea capacity integrates into metro and long-haul networks. A new network backbone connects New York to Ashburn, Virginia, and links Ashburn to Virginia Beach.

Ashburn, located at the heart of the Washington metropolitan area, hosts one of the world’s largest concentrations of data centres, known as Data Center Alley. This corridor aggregates hyperscale cloud infrastructure and enterprise workloads within a dense interconnection hub, impacting telcos and wholesale customers.

By reinforcing these links between landing stations and data centre clusters, Colt strengthens the connection between subsea systems and terrestrial backbones. 

Resilience and routing options

Colt’s expansion increases its presence in the US to four connected cable landing stations on the east coast, with on-net options across 10 transatlantic subsea cable systems. Direct control supports performance, resilience and routing flexibility across international routes where disruption and maintenance can impact traffic flows.

The company is introducing diverse, high-capacity transatlantic routing options designed to provide resilience and back-up. Route diversity reduces the risk of disruption by ensuring traffic reroutes in the event of cable faults or maintenance. Where AI workloads increase capacity requirements and enterprises scale digital infrastructure, this resilience supports consistent connectivity across the Atlantic.

End-to-end connectivity across Colt’s infrastructure between the US and Europe now includes new 100G and 400G wave options. These options enable businesses to scale bandwidth in line with AI model training and large data transfers without deploying additional circuits, supporting high performance and energy efficient connectivity across subsea and terrestrial networks.

Buddy Bayer, COO of Colt Technology Services, says: “This exciting network expansion marks the latest milestone in our ongoing commitment to our customers to deliver exceptional global infrastructure that powers the AI economy.

“We’re building and managing the most valuable, sustainable digital infrastructure in the world: quantum secure, AI-ready and engineered to be sustainable and smart at every layer.”

Expanding US footprint

The new routes form a key element of Colt’s digital infrastructure expansion, advancing the company from Europe’s largest B2B fibre provider to one of the largest globally and a stronger player in the US market.

They add to Colt’s intelligent network in more than 40 countries, with more than 1,100 connected data centres, 32,000 enterprise buildings and at least 275 cloud points of presence. 

As demand for high performance and energy-efficient connectivity grows, operators and enterprises require scale, resilience and reach across international routes. By strengthening subsea capacity and reinforcing east coast backbones, Colt deepens its role in supporting transatlantic telecoms traffic in the AI era.