A
colocation centre (also spelled
co-location, or
colo) is a type of
data centre where equipment, space, and bandwidth are available for rental to retail customers. They are sometimes also referred to as "
carrier hotels." Colocation facilities provide space, power, cooling, and physical security for the server, storage, and networking equipment of other firms—and connect them to a variety of telecommunications and network service providers—with a minimum of cost and complexity.