Colocation cost comparison

Start with the same scope

There is no useful universal price for an unspecified deployment. Location, capacity, power, cooling, service scope, availability and contract terms change the proposal. Request quotes against one written brief and keep optional items separate.

Use the colocation evaluation checklist to define that brief, then download the comparison worksheet.

Separate the bill into six parts

• Space: cabinet, cage or suite charges, included equipment and expansion commitments.
• Power: committed capacity, metered usage, minimums, overages and any pass-through or adjustment terms.
• Cooling: what the base service includes and any deployment-specific equipment or installation.
• Connectivity: cross-connects, carrier circuits, bandwidth, cloud connections and installation charges.
• Operations: remote hands, scheduled work, monitoring, storage and access-related services.
• Transition: setup, migration, de-installation and other one-time work.

Ask whether each item is included, separately priced or excluded. Avoid counting a bundled charge twice.

Use one comparison period

For a fixed monthly proposal, a simple comparison is:

Term cost = one-time charges + (monthly recurring charges + estimated monthly usage charges) × number of months.

If rates escalate, usage changes or the installation ramps over time, calculate each month separately and sum the results. Include credits only in the periods when they apply. Record deposits separately because refundable cash requirements are different from expense.

Keep taxes, currency, usage assumptions and end-of-term work explicit. The worksheet organizes quote inputs; it does not calculate a total or supply market rates.

Worked example: illustrative figures only

Assume a 36-month term, unchanged rates and no additional usage charges. Proposal A has $2,000 in monthly charges and $3,000 in setup: $75,000 over the term. Proposal B has $1,850 in monthly charges and $9,000 in setup: $75,600 over the term.

These invented figures explain the arithmetic. They are not ColoHunter quotes, market benchmarks or an estimate for your project. The lower monthly line in this example does not produce the lower term cost.

Check what could change the result

• Does the proposed power allocation support the required load and failure conditions?
• Are usage charges estimated from the same demand assumptions?
• When do billing, delivery and acceptance begin?
• What changes at renewal, expansion or early exit?
• Which installation work is excluded or dependent on another supplier?
• Who owns the equipment and configuration at the end of the term?

Resolve exclusions before ranking proposals. An incomplete price is an incomplete comparison.

Get quotes for your actual deployment

Send ColoHunter your requirements for a provider shortlist. ColoHunter is a NexusLink company. If you are comparing the facility with a wider cloud or managed-service proposal, use the NexusLink provider evaluation scorecard to compare scope and responsibilities as well as price.

Put the brief to work.

Tell us what you need to deploy.