telecom italia sparkle: Panama Data Center

The Panama Digital Gateway (Sparkle Panama Data Center), operated by Telecom Italia Sparkle in partnership with Trans Ocean Network (TON), is located in the Corozal district of Panama City.Positioned at the crossroads between the Atlantic and Pacific, this facility is designed to become Central America’s open submarine cable hub and digital interconnection point. Its proximity to multiple submarine cable landings, combined with its open carrier-neutral posture, makes it an ideal gateway for Latin American, Caribbean, and intercontinental traffic.

⚙️ Facility Highlights

• Total facility size: ~ 5,500 m² (≈ 59,200 ft²) across modular layout 
• Power capacity: scalable up to 3.5 MW delivered via UPS systems 
• Rack capacity: up to 650 equivalent racks across five modules 
• Cooling: modular, efficient cooling systems with compartmentalized technical rooms; target PUE ~1.4 
• Infrastructure modularity: critical rooms, meet-me rooms per floor, ability to expand in phased modules 
• Seismic design: built using stringent anti-seismic standards appropriate for the region 
• Sustainability: designed as a “green” data center; uses renewable energy from certified providers 
• Fire protection: Novec 1230 clean-agent fire suppression, lightning protection systems 
• Monitoring & control: Building Management System (BMS), EPMS (Energy & Power Monitoring System), and surge protection (SPM) 

🔐 Security & Compliance

• Carrier-neutral open hub with robust physical and electronic security controls 
• 24/7 security personnel on-site, controlled card access systems, CCTV surveillance 
• Biometric / two-factor authentication systems in access control
• Access to secure cages, badge-based access, strict compartmentalization of critical rooms 
• Fire detection systems, clean-agent fire suppression, lightning protection 
• Aimed Uptime Institute Tier III – Constructed Facility certification for design and reliability

🌐 Connectivity & Carrier Access

• Carrier-neutral, open interconnection model enabling multiple providers, OTTs, enterprises to connect freely 
• Submarine cable integration: landing point for Curie (with branch into Panama) and readiness for future submarine systems
• Dense interconnection via meet-me rooms on each floor
• Linkage to Sparkle’s global backbone (Seabone, capacity, IP transit) and to regional networks through TON infrastructure 
• Resilient, redundant fiber entry paths and path diversity in terrestrial and subsea routing 

💼 Who It Serves

• Carriers, ISPs, and telecom operators seeking a neutral submarine cable hub in Central America
• OTT, content platforms, streaming services aiming to reach Latin America with reduced latency
• Enterprises requiring intercontinental connectivity bridging North, Central, and South America
• Cloud providers needing direct access to submarine infrastructure and dense peering
• Organizations seeking sustainable, high-availability colocation in a resilient, open, strategic hub