What is edge colocation and when does it make sense?

Edge colocation places infrastructure across multiple data centre locations to support application performance, connectivity and operational requirements. Instead of relying on a single centralised site, organisations deploy workloads in regional facilities closer to where data is generated or used.   This FAQ explains what edge colocation is, how edge data centres work, and when this approach fits infrastructure strategy. 

Q: What is edge colocation?
A: Edge colocation is the practice of placing infrastructure in distributed data centre locations rather than a single central facility. Organisations install and operate their own equipment within regional data centres to support workloads that benefit from being located closer to specific users, systems or operational sites.

Q: What is an edge data centre?
A: An edge data centre is a facility located closer to end users, operational sites or data sources than traditional centralised data centres. These facilities support distributed infrastructure by providing localised compute, storage and connectivity, while remaining connected to wider network and cloud environments.

Q: How is edge colocation different from traditional colocation?
A: Traditional colocation typically places infrastructure in one or a small number of centralised data centres. Edge colocation distributes infrastructure across multiple regional locations. This allows organisations to place workloads based on performance, connectivity or operational requirements instead of relying on a single site.

Q: Why are edge data centres used?
A: Edge data centres are used to support infrastructure that depends on location-sensitive performance or connectivity. By placing workloads in regional facilities, organisations can reduce network distance between systems and users, support distributed operations and improve application response times across locations.

Q: When does edge colocation make sense?
A: Edge colocation is typically used when infrastructure must operate across multiple locations or where application performance is affected by network distance. This includes distributed operations, latency-sensitive systems, and workloads that process data close to where it is generated. It is also used when organisations want to avoid concentrating all infrastructure in a single location.

Q: What types of workloads benefit from edge colocation?
A: Workloads that benefit from edge colocation include real-time systems, data processing platforms, and services that rely on consistent connectivity across multiple sites. It is also used where systems interact with users, devices or operational environments in different regions.

Q: How does edge colocation support low-latency applications?
A: Network latency increases with the distance data travels between systems. By placing infrastructure in edge data centres closer to users or operational sites, organisations can reduce that distance and improve response times. This supports applications that depend on consistent, low-latency performance.

Q: How does edge colocation fit into hybrid or multi-site infrastructure?
A: Edge colocation is often used to distribute workloads across multiple locations while maintaining connectivity to central platforms or cloud services. This allows organisations to run applications and data in different regions based on workload requirements. Pulsant’s platformEDGE™ supports this type of distributed infrastructure by connecting regional data centres through high-capacity network services.

Q: What should organisations consider before using edge colocation?
A: Organisations typically assess how workloads are distributed, where data is generated and accessed, and how connectivity between locations will be managed. They also consider operational complexity, resilience planning and how infrastructure will be monitored across multiple sites. Edge colocation can support distributed architectures, but it requires clear planning around placement and connectivity.

Looking to deploy infrastructure across multiple locations?
Get in touch to discuss how Pulsant can support edge colocation and multi-site connectivity for your business.