Internet speed: 51.6 Mbps downlink; 18.7 Mbps uplink

Population: 305,000

Internet Coverage: 95% of residents

Main Internet Services: Cable, DSL, Fiber

Main Internet Service Providers: Xfinity, FIOS by Verizon, Verizon

Colocation Datacenters: 16 (prominent companies: Expedient Datacenters, vXchnge)

Web Hosting Companies: Hostkoi, ForbestHosting, TUBU, MageMojo

According to Akamai.com, the average downlink Internet speed in Pittsburg is 51.6 Mbps and the average upload speed is 18.7 Mbps.

In 2016, the population of Pittsburg was approximately 305,000. More than 95% of residents have access to the Internet, especially broadband connections.

Main Internet services provided in Pittsburgh are as follows:

– Cable – 95% coverage
– DSL – 82% coverage
– Fiber – more than 80% coverage

Main Internet Service Providers located in Pittsburgh are the following:

– Xfinity (Cable) – 98.7% availability
– FIOS by Verizon (Fiber) – 85% availability
– Verizon (DSL) – 74.4% availability

Gigabit Internet in Pittsburgh

Verizon is currently the only ISP to offer gigabit Internet in Pittsburgh. This service was introduced locally in early 2016, 5 years after the company announced that they would start rolling out their fiber-optic Internet throughout Pennsylvania. This service is provided through fiber-optic cables exclusively. Other companies such as Google Fiber have shown interest in rolling out their own gigabit services to Pittsburgh residents, but since the local market is dominated by Verizon and Xfinity, plans are being postponed.

According to datacentermap.com, there are currently 16 colocation datacenters located in Pittsburgh. Major providers include the following:

– vXchnge
– Mangement Science Associates
– Iron Mountain
– Expedient Datacenters
– TeraSwitch Networks
– Bare Metal Pittsburgh

Prominent Colocation Providers & Datacenters

One of the biggest colocation providers located in Pittsburgh is vXchnge. Their main facility is located in downtown Pittsburgh, and provides N+1 UPS, N+1 backup generator, in addition to N+2 cooling redundancy. The datacenter provides carrier neutrality, being connected to multiple ISPs and other colocation providers located in the area. It is strategically located so as to cater to customers located in western Pennsylvania, but its services are also addressed to neighbor states such as Ohio and Maryland.

Another important colocation provider located in Pittsburgh is Expedient Datacenters. Their main datacenter is located near downtown Pittsburgh. The 25,000-square-foot facility has redundant electric utility power feeds, in addition to two auto-cutover generators which ensure complete power redundancy of all network services. The facility is also carrier-neutral, being connected to multiple ISPs, as well as various colocation providers located in the area. The datacenter caters primarily to a local clientele looking for local solutions, but it is also sought after by customers in other nearby markets or up and down the east coast.

Colocation Industry in Pittsburgh

The colocation industry in Pittsburgh experiences moderate growth thanks to large investments made by the private sector in the local Internet infrastructure, which has enticed colocation providers to build million-dollar facilities in the city.

Investments & Advantages

In February 2017, DataBank, one of the biggest colocation providers in the United States, acquired two facilities from 365 Datacenters, one of which is located in Pittsburgh. In a public statement following the acquisition, the company asserted that the local market has a lot of potential to become one of the strongest in Northeastern United States. Main reasons include the relatively low build and electricity costs, the cool climate, but also the close proximity to other primary markets, such as Maryland, New Jersey and New York. Additionally, Pittsburgh is the largest city in western Pennsylvania, which means that providers established locally do not need to worry about competition stemming from neighbor cities. The only other big market is Philadelphia, located in eastern Pennsylvania.

Major web hosting providers located in Pittsburgh are the following:

– Hostkoi;
– Forbest Hosting
– Tubu
– MageMojo

All the web hosting companies that we have reviewed provide core hosting services, such as Shared, VPS or Dedicated Hosting, in addition to other services designed to help maximize the security of your website/server, including DDoS protection, and antispam solutions. Most companies lease space in facilities operated by other colocation providers, such as Expedient Datacenters or vXchnge – no further details are provided in this matter.