Colt Technology Services continues investing in the region

Mizutani.

Colt Technology Services (Colt), a B2B digital infrastructure company, plans to connect the world. The company is providing the connectivity to link Asian companies to cities outside the Asia-Pacific region (APAC), and vice versa. 

The company is investing significantly in the region, most recently in Sydney, where it announced direct network access to approximately 250 commercial buildings and more than 20 data centres in Q424.  Sydney area metro network services are to be delivered in March 2025, other than wave services, which will be ready in May 2025.

“APAC is a growth driver,” Yasutaka Mizutani, APAC President, Colt Technology Services, said. “It is one of the few markets that are actually growing at a steady pace.”

“Anchor customers want us to be in Asia,” Amana Lau, Regional Sales Director and Head of Hong Kong at Colt Technology Services said, disclosing that there is demand from companies in Asia going global, as well as European companies which want to enter Asia. 

“We follow the business opportunities.” 

Lau observed that APAC is a collection of "very different countries that just happen to be physically connected". Partners are the way to bridge the gap, she said. The company has a systems integrator (SI) growth model, where a dedicated team supports SIs. 

Demand is particularly high in Japan, where AI and cloud providers are looking for partners to help them extend coverage. Besides global connectivity, low-latency use cases in demand in the region, particularly for traders and media companies, Lau said. 

The company’s Singapore customers include a consumer electronics and gaming manufacturer which is using Colt’s SD-WAN services, a global co-working space provider which has connectivity across multiple sites in Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan thanks to Colt, plus an outdoor advertising company that has its advertisements updated electronically at bus stops with Colt's help. 

Looking ahead, the company plans to leverage on low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites from space network provider Rivada Space Networks. The first satellite launch is planned for 2025, with services targeted to start in 2026. 

“It could be lower latency than fibre,” Mizutani said. “We’re evaluating how it could benefit our customers.” 

High-frequency trading and risk mitigation for critical infrastructure could be possible use cases, he elaborated.

The company has 500 plus employees and more than 2,700 customers in APAC, with a presence in China, Japan, Korea, and Singapore. In June, the company shared its global growth strategy, which includes expanding into the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. 

Sustainability is a big focus for the company. Some of its 2024 milestones include Colt achieved its highest-ever Corporate Disclosure Project (CDP) rating of A- and being placed in the Leadership category; earning an A rating for the second consecutive year for supplier engagement on climate action, as well as maintaining a platinum EcoVadis rating for two years running.