The data centres are both in Dublin – Citywest and Ballycoolin.
The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2025, subject to competition and regulatory clearance.
Equinix’s Irish arm already has five data centres in Dublin. The group operates 260 data centres around the world, in 72 locations. Its clients include Amazon, Oracle, Google, Netflix, Dell and Zoom.
BT said its broader asset-light strategy includes a transition away from owning and operating data-centre facilities, towards partnering with globally scaled organisations.
“This asset-light strategy and partnership approach for data-centre services gives BT a much more commercially scalable and flexible model that delivers multiple benefits to customers with services available in over 560 locations worldwide,” it said.
“The deal builds on our existing successful partnership with Equinix and ensures that customers will benefit from top-tier data-centre services nationally and globally, allowing BT to specialise in our core strengths in cloud, networking, and security,” said BT Ireland managing director Shay Walsh.
Peter Lantry, the managing director of Equinix Ireland, said that the planned acquisition of the two data centres from BT Ireland will enable it to continue offering interconnection services.
“We look forward to working closely with BT to ensure a seamless transition, welcoming its data-centre team and customers to Equinix and bringing the scale, expertise, and investment that next generation data-centre facilities require for excellent service delivery for organisations in Ireland and globally.”
BT has been mulling a sale of its Irish arm since earlier this year. In September, it was reported that it had hired UBS to advise on a possible sale.
BT established new companies during the autumn here as it prepared for the data centre sale. Shares in the newly-formed BT Data Centres Ireland were allotted at the beginning of this month to a UK company called Extraclick, that’s owned by BT.
BT established BT Business Telecoms Ireland at the end of last month.
BT doesn’t offer any residential services in Ireland, but is the country’s second-largest fixed-line wholesaler.
Profits at Equinix’s Irish unit halved last year to €7.9m. Its revenue rose, however, to just over €65m from €49m.
In April this year, it agreed to buy a building at a Dublin business park for €7m.
