Digital Realty and Vodafone Greece have partnered to enhance Crete’s digital infrastructure and position the island as a key connectivity hub in the Mediterranean. Central to the partnership is the launch of a Vodafone point of presence (PoP) at Digital Realty’s new HER1 data center in Heraklion (the first carrier-neutral interconnection point for cable landing stations (CLS) in Crete).
The collaboration includes a dual-route terrestrial network connecting HER1 to Vodafone’s cable landing station in Tympaki, enhancing resilience and providing vital backhaul for major subsea cables. This infrastructure will improve connectivity between Heraklion, Chania, and beyond, benefiting cloud providers, internet service providers (ISPs), content networks, and carriers.
HER1 is part of Digital Realty’s broader goal to close digital infrastructure gaps in southern Europe by enabling seamless interconnection between local, regional, and international cable systems.
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“Our HER1 data center is designed to establish Crete as a strategic digital hub,” said Alexandros Bechrakis, Managing Director of Digital Realty in Greece. “This collaboration with Vodafone Greece reflects our shared commitment to delivering world-class digital services and infrastructure that empower local communities and businesses.”
Nikos Plevris, Chief Network Officer at Vodafone Greece, added, “Our partnership with Digital Realty is another critical step in what we have managed to implement through the construction and operation of our submarine cable landing station in Tympaki, Crete.”
The initiative aligns with a wider push across Europe to meet the explosive demand for data capacity, spurred by artificial intelligence (AI) growth and digital transformation. With a EUR 200-billion investment set aside to expand AI infrastructure, partnerships like this are seen as essential to building the foundational connectivity that supports high-performance computing (HPC) and future-ready networks.
By merging Vodafone’s fiber backbone and subsea connectivity with Digital Realty’s data center expertise, the companies aim to attract global tech players and enterprise customers to Crete, unlocking new economic opportunities and reinforcing Greece’s role as a digital bridge between continents.
