Tag / 2025

by Matt Seaton

A look back at 2025

As we enter 2026, we can now take a look back at what has been another truly fantastic year here at Netwise.

2025 saw advancements made ubiquitously across all facets of the organisation, as various large-scale projects progressed, along with the usual smaller-scale improvements and progressions felt naturally throughout the course of another year in operation.

Heavy investment continues in our future roadmap, as we again expand our total capacity in line with the ever-present demand for world-class data centre and connectivity services in London.

Unit 7
This elevated view shows the full extent of the London East footprint, following the successful integration of Unit 7 into Netwise control in late 2025

We’re extremely proud of the progress made throughout the last 12 months, from the big wins – like securing Unit 7 for Phase 4 of development at London East – to the everyday welcoming of new clients into our world-class facility.

Here are some of the main headlines from 2025:

  • We fully deployed Data Hall 3 – Data Hall 3 reached completion in Q3 2025, allowing for continued client deployments in the closing stages of the year, and into 2026. This resulted in the completion of Phase 2 works at NLE. The build process for Data Hall 3 can be found on our #BuildBlog.
  • We upgraded our Layer 1 wave capabilities – we upgraded our MUX infrastructure at all core nodes, resulting in the ability to deploy 100G and 400G waves between on-net locations. This enables higher capacity backhauling across our metro network, ideal for clients with very high throughput requirements between sites.
  • We expanded our node in CLL – early in the year, we increased our footprint in CLL from 3 racks to a 14 rack private pod, with the site now operating as a full Supernode, in keeping with our deployment architecture in THN and HEX/LD8.
  • The Phase 3 expansion project pushed ahead – as expected, much of the focus for development work in 2025 centred around the Unit 5 expansion, which will house Data Halls 5 and 6. This took a slight back seat as Phase 2 wrapped up, however progress continues to be documented as part of our #BuildBlog.
  • We secured further expansion space for Phase 4 – in the closing stages of 2025, we officially took over Unit 7 on the Datapoint Estate, meaning we now have full authority over the entire free-standing building on the south side of the estate. This had been on our strategic roadmap for a long time, even influencing design decisions implemented during Phase 1, so to see this come to fruition is perhaps the most significant milestone for us in 2025.

The real meat of 2025 has been spent on moving open development projects forward. Our multifaceted approach to development and growth means the gears are always turning on various additions and evolutions across every touch point within the organisation. This is in service of growing capacity at our London East footprint, and the continual improvement of service for our clients.

The onlining of Data Hall 3 resulted in the completion of Phase 2 development works at London East, with all four data halls within the currently active footprint now online and serving customers
DH3
Data Hall 3 – the final of four active halls to spin up in the current footprint – has now been providing service to clients since Q3 2025

Taking Data Hall 3 from shell to approaching half full in 2025 is no small feat, and we’re very proud to continue seeing such impressive uptake at our flagship facility. We’re building out new data halls just about as quickly as we can fill them at present, ensuring existing clients have room to grow, and servicing new client requirements without interruption or delay.

We closed on a deal for the final footprint as part of the London East property portfolio in Q4 2025, which had been a long-standing strategy since taking over Unit 6 in back 2020. The implemented design for Unit 6 – which now has all four data halls online – catered for flanking expansion options from day one, and with both Unit 5 and Unit 7 now under Netwise authority, this plan has come to full fruition sooner than we had initially forecast.

The arterial corridor positioning in the currently active footprint allows breaching for access and services, creating one single operating facility that will be scaled to 4.5MW at full capacity.

As with the active development underway in Unit 5, which will house Data Halls 5 and 6, Unit 7 will again provide expansion room for two further halls (7 and 8), becoming one single operating facility housing around 500 client racks, across ~38,000ft2.

Detailed plans for the new footprint addition are still developing at this stage, however it is expected to house two high-density halls suitable for the fast-changing infrastructure landscape we’re facing in the years to come.

U7
A view of the adjoining Unit 7, as seen from the farthest corner of the front compound
U7
The newly acquired space is now ready for conversion when suitable, following initial base refurbishment works; we will be completing the expansion works in Unit 5 (Phase 3) ahead of this – there may be some cross-over on starting Phase 4 once we’re further along with Phase 3

General performance has again been impressive, and further underlines our unfaltering stability as a data centre operator you can rely on long-term – a very important factor to consider when choosing a colocation partner for your critical IT infrastructure.

We’re tracking more technical performance metrics than ever before. Our custom monitoring platform now has active eyes on over 10,000 sensors, nearly 2,000 in-service network ports, and over 1,800 device status metrics. Our network has grown both in capability and capacity, providing critical transit, backhaul and interconnection services across our five PoPs, and onwardly to various other operational locations and client premises.

The third-party carriers that PoP with us directly at London East have also seen a sharp uptake in direct-to-client service deployments this year, as the site further beds in as a high-demand location for those seeking alternatives to the likes of Telehouse and Equinix in the Docklands area when building out their own networks.

Operating performance metrics have also grown in scope, and demonstrate the impressiveness of our KPIs, which are themselves fundamental to our position as London’s most trusted independent data centre operator. By tracking a wider range of client account metadata, we can see that our average client retention time is 6.1 years for those beyond their initial term, and 6.8 years for those beyond two terms. Our longest standing client has now been with us for nearly 15 years, a true testament to the quality of our facilities and our services, and across all client service contracts presently in active deployment with us, we’ve achieved a whopping 872 years of combined service time.

With another fantastic year in the books here at Netwise, we can look ahead to 2026.

The year in front of us will see massive strides made on the Phase 3 work schedule, as the expansion into Unit 5 takes shape. We enter the year with major progress already made on the non-technical side of the new footprint, which has seen the new offices, meeting room and NOC taking form. The technical side of the build is to continue throughout 2026, with a view to onlining Data Hall 5 as quickly as possible, to provide expansion capacity in keeping with ongoing demand.

We’re excited to share these developments with you throughout the year ahead.

by Matt Seaton

Netwise to further expand London East facility

We’re very pleased to officially announce further development and expansion plans at our Netwise London East (NLE) facility.

The ink is now dry on a deal which sees us take full control of the freestanding units on the south side of the Datapoint estate – occupying Units 5, 6 and 7 – adding another ~12,000ft2 of available data centre space.

The total NLE facility footprint now spans ~38,000ft2, and is expected to house around 500 racks across all active data halls once fully deployed.

Unit 7
Unit 7 joins prior phase developments at London East; Unit 6, Phases 1 and 2, and Unit 5, Phase 3 (the latter of which is still under development)

Initial refurbishment works are already underway in the newly acquired space, with adjustments being made to increase the front compound, and to install perimeter security to our exacting specifications.

This comes just 12 months after beginning work on our first expansion project at NLE (Phase 3), which is expected to see initial completion and client occupation in 2026, as Data Hall 5 comes online. The modular deployment of the initial expansion project will continue into 2027, with the onlining of Data Hall 6.

Updates continue to flow into our much-lauded build blog, which allows readers to follow along with a behind the scenes look at progress in active development phases. This newly planned phase of expansion works will flow into the build blog in due course.

Unit 7
The initial renovation works are well underway, to prepare the space for our future conversion works

We now have full operational occupation and control over the south side of the Datapoint estate, with both buildings either side of the active facility forming part of the London East footprint. This gives us full control over the entire freestanding building, with the full perimeter and all external areas now under Netwise authority.

The addition of Unit 7 will see the total footprint of the London East facility grow by nearly 200% since Phase 1 began in 2020.

Unit 7
As with both prior development projects, this new space will also carry with it a host of additional amenities for clients to enjoy

Plans for the internal fit-out of this new space are still pending. Early stage plans centre around an additional two data halls (7 and 8), which are likely to become high-density spaces to cater for increasing demand from the HPC and AI/ML sectors, particularly for inference applications that require edge facility locations in critical markets.

Unit 7
The new space will enable continued growth and expansion at our high-demand London East data centre, which sits within the UKs most important data centre ecosystem

Total power delivered to the site is to be significantly increased, with final plans and figures as-yet unannounced.

"This is an incredibly exciting time for Netwise, as we deploy further space at our flagship London East facility. The demand for high-quality data centre space in London only continues to grow, so ensuring we have maximum availability at all times - for existing and emerging deployment trends - is vital."

Matt Seaton, Director

We continue to invest heavily in the development of our portfolio across the board, as the market expands more broadly, placing increasing demand on the infrastructure that drives the modern economy.

Unit 7
Adding Unit 7 to our London East estate is the final piece of our property control plan for this location

This multi-pronged approach to growth and development within the organisation has been a cornerstone of the Netwise formula since day one, with an in-house team capable of managing a wide range of ongoing projects concurrently.

"Our aim has always been to take full control of the south side of the Datapoint estate. Adding Unit 7 to the London East footprint sees this plan through, giving us maximum flexibility over where we take the next chapter of the London East story. We're extremely excited to see continued growth here at our flagship London data centre. With Netwise turning 16 this December, we have much cause for celebration."

Matthew Butt, Managing Director

Having additional capacity available in London’s ever-popular data centre ecosystem is vital for growth-minded operators in this sector, as demand for critical infrastructure continues to outpace sector build rates. Staying ahead of the curve and building world-class facilities that clients from all across the globe can rely on is of paramount importance as we look towards the next decade.

You can follow along with early stage progress on our build blog – keep an eye out for updates as we head into 2026.

by Matt Seaton

Netwise to expand London East facility

This month we’re very happy to officially announce the next major phase of development and expansion at our Netwise London East (NLE) data centre.

We’re facilitating this expansion by pushing into the adjacent building on the Datapoint estate, which sits alongside our existing four-hall facility. This will result in a single expanded facility housing six high-specification data halls.

Exterior
The new space will be a direct continuation of the design language already employed in the existing spaces at NLE
Exterior
The initial unit refurbishment works to prepare the space for the main technical fit-out have begun

The initial fit-out phase began in July, with the main internal schedule of technical works set to begin in early 2025. This project will expand NLE by 168 racks, increasing the total internal area of the building by around 13,000ft2.

The new building is being fully refurbished – both inside and out – following the departure of the previous occupants, ahead of the main work schedule which will start thereafter.

Interior
The new space will house an additional 168 racks, across two data halls, alongside a range of other client and staff amenities

This is our first major step towards developing NLE into a campus-style facility, which spans multiple buildings on the same estate. The two units will become a single operational building, with multiple pass-through points for clients and staff, as well as for the sharing of core services.

Alongside the additional rack capacity, this new space will also introduce further amenities and technical features, including increased capacity for staff, a second loading bay and storage area, more on-site parking and EV charging, as well as improvements to our water handling capabilities.

There will also be flexible space held for future use, which will provide additional service options for potential wholesale customers, for things such as private on-site NOC capabilities.

Exterior
This new addition to NLE will create an impressive frontage, and allow for the segregation of facility entrances for staff and clients
"This represents another seven-figure investment by Netwise in its own future, and the future of its clients. To be announcing this level of growth at NLE only a couple of years after the first clients moved in is something we're very proud of; it's a testament to the strength of this sector, and our own position within it."

Matt Seaton, Director

The uptake of services at NLE has been extremely impressive since it soft-opened in the spring of 2022, with the phased fit-out schedule just keeping pace with demand. The current building now has three of the four data halls deployed. The final hall in this building is scheduled to be online by the end of 2024.

Interior
A view inside the new space, as early-stage works begin – this includes a new roof, as the shell is prepared ahead of occupation by our internal fit-out team

The two new halls coming as part of the facility expansion project will be larger than the halls in the current building, housing 84 racks per hall at maximum rack density – a 33% increase per hall. These new halls will house three containment pods each, giving greater scope for private space options.

In June, the Netwise London Central (NLC) facility officially closed, having served clients for 10 years. The forthcoming expansion at Netwise London East would become one of the main driving factors behind the decision to shutter NLC, as many core components within the site reached end of life.

The large seven-figure reinvestment required to adequately refresh NLC has instead been diverted to the new facility, which has the forward-looking scope to springboard Netwise into the next phase in its growth cycle.

Matthew Butt, Managing Director, and Matt Seaton, Director, stood outside of NLC on the day of its final closure
Matthew Butt, Managing Director, and Matt Seaton, Director, stood outside of NLC on the day of its final closure, after a decade of active service

The NLE expansion comes as Netwise continues to welcome an exciting range of new clients into its facilities, as well as facilitating the growth of its long-standing customers.

"We always knew that we'd be expanding NLE in time, to facilitate our growth trajectory, however to be at that stage already is a tangible demonstration of our performance and reputation in this industry. I'm very excited by this next phase, particularly as we come out the back of the NLC closure, which required considerable care and attention."

Matthew Butt, Managing Director

The expansion of NLE will bolster our position as a leading data centre operator in the high-demand East London / Docklands region, as we further the already significant investments made in our flagship facility, which has been in operation since mid-2022.

Interior
The entire Netwise team is extremely excited to see this next phase take shape

While finer details of the technical plans are still expected to develop over the closing months of 2024, the overarching plans are already locked in, and can be discussed with interested parties that may be looking to utilise bulk space in the new side of the facility.

Exterior
This expansion will dramatically increase the total size of the NLE facility, taking the total internal area to around 26,000ft2 – external compound space will also be increased for parking and plant areas

The Netwise team cannot wait to show you around the new side of the facility as it develops. And as always, the #buildblog will be back in action, documenting the entire build process, so be sure to keep an eye out for new posts.