euNetworks, a European bandwidth infrastructure company, has launched a direct 1,057 km fiber route between Paris and Milan. This adds a direct connection between two of Europe’s largest data center markets.
The new route connects directly into euNetworks’ metro fiber networks, which include 38 on-net data centers in Paris and 18 on-net data centers in Milan. It also provides onward access to more than 600 connected data centers across the company’s European network.
According to a company press release, the route is intended to provide a shorter and more diverse connection between the Paris and Milan connectivity hubs since it follows a new path through the Alps, providing an alternative to the more common coastal routes via Lyon and Marseille.
Marisa Trisolino, CEO, euNetworks, said, “The new route between Paris and Milan is providing customers with the most direct, diverse connectivity options in Europe. As demand for AI, cloud and data driven connectivity rises, shorter routes and diversity become increasingly crucial. Building a diverse route through the Alps takes a lot of persistence and collaboration with an extensive supplier network.”
The route is designed to support demand for lower-latency connectivity between data centers while also increasing route diversity for cloud, AI and other data-intensive workloads. It also creates opportunities to shorten and diversify connections across euNetworks’ wider long-haul network.
Milan is the sixth-largest data center market in the EMEA region and Italy’s leading digital infrastructure hub, representing 68 percent of the country’s installed data center capacity. Milan’s proximity to trans-European fiber routes, improvements in power procurement, and a growing pipeline of submarine cables keep the country attractive for high-density builds. International investors also favor Italy because land and power are still easier to secure than in Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris and Dublin (FLAP-D).
According to Mordor Intelligence report, the Italy Data Center market size is expected to grow from US$ 7.54 billion in 2025 to US$ 8.45 billion in 2026 and is forecast to reach US$ 14.97 billion by 2031 at 12.12 percent CAGR over 2026-2031. In terms of IT load capacity, the market is expected to grow from 1.08 thousand megawatt in 2025 to 4.09 thousand MW by 2030, at a CAGR of 30.49 percent during the forecast period (2025-2030).
As part of the FLAP-D market, the Paris data center market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.16 percent over the forecast period as detailed in a Mordor Intelligence report. Market growth is expected to be fueled by rising demand for energy-efficient data centers, significant investments from colocation and managed service providers, and the continued expansion of hyperscale data center infrastructure.