Data Center Fire Exposes Risk of Internet Centralization in Brazil
Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2025 8:40 am
On March 30, 2025, an electrical fire at Equinix's SP4 data center in Barueri, São Paulo, caused instability in several Internet services in Brazil. The problem also partially affected the IX.br traffic exchange point in São Paulo, raising concerns about the centralization of network infrastructure in the country.
Incident and Impacts
The fire was reported at around 12:30 p.m. and, according to Equinix, was quickly brought under control. However, the incident affected data bulgaria mobile database connectivity, forcing two power distribution panels to be shut down. To disperse the smoke, external doors were opened and some cooling units had to be temporarily disabled.
The situation required the evacuation of the site to ensure the safety of customers , suppliers and employees. Equinix has not yet released the exact cause of the fire, but assured that its teams worked to restore services as quickly as possible.
Impact on the Brazilian Internet
The biggest impact of the incident was felt at the IX.br traffic exchange point in São Paulo, which saw a sharp drop in traffic starting at noon. This failure affected services such as the satellite Internet operator Starlink, the social network X and online games like Free Fire. During the night, the situation began to return to normal, and on Monday (31) services were restored.
Despite the scare, IX.br clarified that its infrastructure within the data center was not directly damaged by the fire. The problem occurred because the loss of connection in SP4 interrupted access to several networks of providers and companies that depended exclusively on this location for their operations.
The Problem of Centralization
The incident reinforced concerns about the centralization of Internet traffic in Brazil. To give you an idea, IX.br moves an average of 24.36 Tbps daily, and around 14.62 Tbps of this traffic passes through the São Paulo exchange point, which depends on SP4.
Incident and Impacts
The fire was reported at around 12:30 p.m. and, according to Equinix, was quickly brought under control. However, the incident affected data bulgaria mobile database connectivity, forcing two power distribution panels to be shut down. To disperse the smoke, external doors were opened and some cooling units had to be temporarily disabled.
The situation required the evacuation of the site to ensure the safety of customers , suppliers and employees. Equinix has not yet released the exact cause of the fire, but assured that its teams worked to restore services as quickly as possible.
Impact on the Brazilian Internet
The biggest impact of the incident was felt at the IX.br traffic exchange point in São Paulo, which saw a sharp drop in traffic starting at noon. This failure affected services such as the satellite Internet operator Starlink, the social network X and online games like Free Fire. During the night, the situation began to return to normal, and on Monday (31) services were restored.
Despite the scare, IX.br clarified that its infrastructure within the data center was not directly damaged by the fire. The problem occurred because the loss of connection in SP4 interrupted access to several networks of providers and companies that depended exclusively on this location for their operations.
The Problem of Centralization
The incident reinforced concerns about the centralization of Internet traffic in Brazil. To give you an idea, IX.br moves an average of 24.36 Tbps daily, and around 14.62 Tbps of this traffic passes through the São Paulo exchange point, which depends on SP4.