Reuters reports that Verizon Communications Inc (VZ.N) has put its data center assets on the auction block. The international Tier 1 carrier believes the sale of its data center assets could bring in more than $2.5 billion, according to the report.
Verizon has put 48 data centers up for sale, according to Reuters.
Several other carriers have followed or are considering a similar strategy. CenturyLink revealed last November that it is exploring strategic alternatives for its data center assets, while Windstream has already sold its data centers to TierPoint (see "Windstream to sell data center business to TierPoint"). Reuters says AT&T has been exploring a similar sale since last year as well.
Verizon made a major investment in data center assets when it purchased Terremark in early 2011 (see "Piecing together cloud services"). Rumors circulated last spring that Verizon was considering a data center assets sale and grew so hot by late fall (including a story by Reuters) that company officials took the time to deny the reports (see this story in Fortune).
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Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher
Stephen Hardy has covered fiber optics for more than 15 years, and communications and technology for more than 30 years. He is responsible for establishing and executing Lightwave's editorial strategy across its digital magazine, website, newsletters, research and other information products. He has won multiple awards for his writing.
Contact Stephen to discuss:
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