Connectivity
Connectivity Choices Explained for Colocation Buyers
7 min read
Colocation buyers can combine internet, private WAN, dark fibre, peering and cloud connectivity to match different application requirements.
Start with application traffic
Connectivity design should begin with traffic flows rather than a preferred carrier or product. Identify users, offices, cloud platforms, partners and systems that need access to the colocated environment. Record bandwidth, latency, security and availability requirements for each flow. A public website, database replication link and staff VPN should not automatically use the same service. This mapping makes it easier to select internet transit, private circuits, cloud on-ramps or direct fibre and to decide which paths need redundancy.
Internet and private networks
Internet transit is flexible and widely available, making it suitable for public services, remote access and encrypted links. Private carrier services can provide committed bandwidth and defined service levels between known locations. Neither option is inherently secure without appropriate encryption, firewalls and access controls. Internet services can be made resilient with multiple providers and BGP routing, while private services may require a second carrier or internet backup. The right choice depends on cost, operational skill and the impact of an outage.
Cloud, peering and direct fibre
Cloud on-ramps give private access to public cloud networks. Internet exchanges allow networks to peer directly, while dark fibre and wavelengths support high-capacity point-to-point links. These services are often reached through cross connects inside carrier-neutral facilities. Providers such as NEXTDC and Equinix host large connectivity ecosystems, but presence varies by building. Check that required carriers, exchanges and cloud regions are available in the exact site. A facility’s long provider list has limited value if the networks you need are not present.
Physical and logical diversity
Ordering two circuits is not enough to establish resilience. They may use the same carrier, building entry, meet-me room, fibre route or upstream network. Ask for physical-path information and map customer routers, optics, patch panels and power feeds as well. Logical diversity matters too: incorrect routing policy can keep traffic on a failed path. Test failure scenarios regularly and monitor each circuit independently. Where perfect diversity is unavailable, document the shared risk and decide whether application-level failover or a second data centre is required.
Commercial and operational checks
Compare installation time, contract term, monthly cost, bandwidth commitments, support hours and service credits. Include cross-connect fees, ports, optics, IP addresses, DDoS protection and cloud data-transfer charges. Clarify which supplier owns each incident and how escalations work across the data centre, carrier and cloud provider. Keep diagrams and letters of authorisation current. A well-designed network is one that the operations team can understand, monitor and restore under pressure, not simply one with the highest advertised speed.
Frequently asked questions
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