Rai Way expands into connectivity, CDN services
November 28, 2024
From Branislav Pekic in Rome
Italian digital infrastructure provider, Rai Way, has launched its first five Edge Data centres and new connectivity services, including a Content Delivery Network (CDN).
This network of interconnected, regional data centres, built on a 6,000+ km fibre optic backbone, provides secure, low-latency colocation and value-added services, seamlessly integrating with hybrid and multi-cloud environments for businesses and government agencies.
The activation of data centres in Milan, Florence, Genoa, Turin, and Venice, is part of a broader plan to expand data centre infrastructure throughout central and southern Italy.
Rai Way’s new CDN, with its extensive Italian network of points of presence, is designed to provide low latency and a superior user experience for live and on-demand content distribution, offering broadcasters and content providers fast and scalable solutions.
The proprietary CDN currently has three active hubs (Milan, Rome, and Turin), expanding to eight by year-end with the addition of five more in central and southern Italy. This dedicated infrastructure offers an attractive solution for a range of clients, from local TV broadcasters to video streaming platforms and emerging players in gaming and augmented reality.
Rai Way’s entry into the growing cloud services market is driven by the increasing demand for data fuelled by advancements in AI, and the potential for Italy to benefit from the saturation of traditional data centre hubs in Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, and Paris.
Rai Way’s in the growing cloud services market is driven by the increasing demand for data fueled by advancements in AI, and the potential for Italy to benefit from the saturation of traditional data centre hubs in the FLAP region (Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris).
While the potential merger with Ei Towers remains uncertain, Rai Way’s expansion into data centres and its new CDN demonstrates its ambition to become a leading provider of advanced digital solutions.
Rai Way, 65 per cent owned by Italian public broadcaster Rai and publicly traded since 2014, owns 2,300 broadcasting towers and a nationwide network of control centres. The latest expansion is part of a €240 million investment plan through 2027, with €120 million specifically allocated to the new data centre network.