Digital Realty

The world's largest data center REIT — global wholesale and retail colocation at hyperscale

Digital Realty is the world's largest data center real estate investment trust — and that financial structure matters because it means they're building data centers as a core business, not an ancillary service. With 300+ data centers in 50+ metropolitan areas across 6 continents, Digital Realty's PlatformDIGITAL is the connected data center platform where hyperscalers, service providers, and enterprises land when they need large-footprint colocation at a globally consistent standard. For enterprises requiring 1MW+ of dedicated colocation capacity, Digital Realty's ability to build custom data hall space at scale is unmatched.

Overview

Digital Realty Trust (NYSE: DLR) is the world's largest data center REIT, managing 300+ data centers across North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Digital Realty serves a spectrum from single-cabinet retail colocation to 10+ MW hyperscale deployments. Their PlatformDIGITAL ecosystem provides a consistent global infrastructure standard with ServiceFabric software-defined interconnection — enabling enterprises to deploy consistently across 50+ metros worldwide. Digital Realty's Interxion brand (acquired 2020) adds 50+ European data centers with strong carrier and cloud on-ramp connectivity. For large enterprise and hyperscale customers, Digital Realty's ability to build-to-suit custom data hall space distinguishes it from all competitors.

Deployment & pricing

Deployment model: Retail colocation (cabinet/cage), wholesale colocation (data hall/powered shell), hyperscale build-to-suit. Pricing model: Monthly recurring charge based on power ($/kW) and space ($/sq ft). Typical price range: $100–$200/kW/month retail; $60–$120/kW/month wholesale; hyperscale negotiated. Pricing is negotiable at volume — Compare Select benchmarks quotes against real transacted deals before you sign.

Who Digital Realty is ideal for

Key features

PlatformDIGITAL

Digital Realty's global data center platform — consistent standards for power, cooling, connectivity, and security across 300+ facilities in 50+ metros worldwide.

ServiceFabric — Interconnection

Software-defined private interconnection between co-location customers, cloud providers, and carriers — enabling multi-cloud, hybrid, and data exchange architectures.

Hyperscale Build-to-Suit

Custom data center construction for 10MW+ deployments — Digital Realty builds, operates, and owns facilities designed to hyperscale customer specifications.

Interxion — European Presence

50+ European data centers under the Interxion brand — providing EU data sovereignty, carrier-neutral interconnection, and cloud on-ramp access across major European metros.

Sustainability Commitments

100% renewable energy commitment by 2030, LEED-certified facilities, and PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness) targets below 1.4 — meeting corporate ESG requirements for enterprise customers.

24/7 Critical Facilities Management

On-site critical environment engineers, automated monitoring, and N+1 or 2N redundant power and cooling — carrier-grade uptime SLAs with 100% uptime guarantees.

Digital Realty vs. the competition

AlternativeHow it compares
EquinixEquinix leads in interconnection density and carrier-neutral ecosystem; Digital Realty leads in large-footprint wholesale and hyperscale capacity
CyrusOneCyrusOne is more cost-competitive for US enterprise colo; Digital Realty has broader global footprint and build-to-suit capability
FlexentialFlexential focuses on mid-market US enterprise; Digital Realty serves larger enterprise and hyperscale requirements globally

How Compare Select helps

Compare Digital Realty against every alternative in our Data Center & Colocation comparison, or browse the full vendor directory. Ready for pricing? Talk to a Compare Select advisor — our guidance is free and vendor-neutral.