UK Colocation Pricing Guide 2026: How Much Does Server Colocation Cost?
How much UK server colocation costs in 2026 — what drives the bill (space, amps, bandwidth), Fast2Host from-prices by footprint, and how to compare quotes without surprises.
UK colocation pricing is driven by footprint, reserved power (amps) and connectivity — not a single sticker price. This guide breaks down those costs with Fast2Host package prices by size, then covers power, bandwidth and support so you can compare quotes fairly. For packages and ordering, start with colocation & rackspace. For why capacity is billed in amps, see Colocation pricing explained: why we charge in amps.
How much does colocation cost in the UK?
At Fast2Host, published from-prices for UK colocation in our Cambridge data centre currently run from £55/mo (1U) to £650/mo (full rack). Those figures are package baselines: final quotes still move with amp capacity and bandwidth.
| Footprint | Fast2Host from-price (GBP/mo) |
|---|---|
| 1U | £55.00 |
| 2U | £115.50 |
| 3U | £161.70 |
| 4U | £202.50 |
| 5U | £220.00 |
| Quarter rack (10U) | £250.00 |
| Half rack (21U) | £425.00 |
| Full rack (private 42U) | £650.00 |
Prices above are our published package from-prices. Specs below match the same product tiers used on the commercial pages. Always confirm the current figure on the size page before you order.
Fast2Host published from-prices (GBP/mo). Browse packages on colocation & rackspace.
What determines colocation pricing?
A colo invoice is rarely “rent for shelves”. It bundles facility capacity:
| Component | What you are paying for |
|---|---|
| Space | 1U–5U, quarter / half / private full 42U |
| Power (amps) | Reserved draw on dual A+B feeds — UPS, generator and PDUs sized for your bracket |
| Cooling | Heat follows amps; precision cooling keeps the cold aisle stable |
| Network | Port speed, unmetered bandwidth commit, IPv4/IPv6, optional BGP |
| Protection & ops | Always-on DDoS on our edge, monitoring, remote hands |
Two quotes with the same U-count can differ a lot once amp rating and commit Mbps are honest. That is normal — and it is why “cheapest rack” comparisons fail.
1U–5U server colocation pricing
1U colocation (and 2U–5U) suits a single server, firewall or edge box without a private cabinet.
| Package | From (GBP/mo) | Package baseline (published tier) |
|---|---|---|
| 1U | £55.00 | A+B power, 1Gbps port, 100Mbps unmetered, /30 IPv4, free DDoS |
| 2U | £115.50 | A+B power, 1Gbps port, 100Mbps unmetered, /30 IPv4, free DDoS |
| 3U | £161.70 | A+B power, 1Gbps port, 200Mbps unmetered, /30 IPv4, free DDoS |
| 4U | £202.50 | A+B power, 1Gbps port, 200Mbps unmetered, /29 IPv4, free DDoS |
| 5U | £220.00 | A+B power, 1Gbps port, 250Mbps unmetered, /29 IPv4, free DDoS |
Numeric amp ratings for 1U–5U are sized on quote against your hardware; every package includes dual A+B power paths. Detail and order flow: 1U–5U / rack units.
Quarter rack colocation pricing
Quarter rack colocation is 10U of lockable space for a small stack — switches, a few servers, room to grow without jumping to half rack.
| From-price | £250.00/mo |
| Power | Dual 16A A+B PDUs |
| Network | 1Gbps port, 500Mbps unmetered commit, /29 IPv4 |
Half rack colocation pricing
Half rack colocation is 21U — denser compute or storage with a clearer path toward a private cabinet.
| From-price | £425.00/mo |
| Power | Dual 16A A+B PDUs |
| Network | 10Gbps port, 1Gbps unmetered commit, /29 IPv4, BGP-ready |
Full rack colocation pricing
Full rack colocation is a private 42U cabinet — your locks, your layout, growth space.
| From-price | £650.00/mo |
| Power | Dual 32A A+B feeds |
| Network | 10Gbps port, 1Gbps unmetered commit, /29 IPv4 |
Ask on quote for usable kW under dual-feed rules, any bandwidth uplift, cross-connects and contract term. Package page: full rack colocation.
Colocation power costs: amps, kW and usable power
Why providers bill by amps
Power and cooling are what a serious colo facility must reserve for you, not just meter after the fact. An amp rating on the PDU means capacity held across intake paths, UPS, generator and distribution. That is why Fast2Host uses per-Amp (capacity-based) billing rather than “power included” with no number. The longer explanation is in why we charge in amps.
Amps → approximate watts (UK single-phase)
At ~230V: Watts ≈ Amps × Volts.
| Amp capacity | Approx power (cosφ ~1) |
|---|---|
| 10A | ~2.3 kW |
| 16A | ~3.7 kW |
| 32A | ~7.4 kW |
Illustrative conversion only. Dual-feed usable power is engineered on quote — not a marketing multiplier.
What Fast2Host packages specify today
| Footprint | Published power note |
|---|---|
| 1U–5U | Dual A+B power (amp class sized to hardware on quote) |
| Quarter / half rack | Dual 16A A+B PDUs |
| Full rack | Dual 32A A+B feeds |
GPU, dense storage and telco builds may need 3-phase or other feeds. Those are quoted separately — not guessed from a 1U web-server SKU. Use the power calculator on the colo hub to model draw before you RFQ.
Bandwidth and connectivity costs
Package from-prices already include a port and an unmetered bandwidth commit. What usually changes the quote:
- Port speed — 1Gbps on smaller footprints; 10Gbps on half and full rack tiers above
- Commit — 100–250Mbps on 1U–5U; 500Mbps on quarter; 1Gbps on half and full
- Above commit / DIA / cloud connect — quoted when you need a private circuit or higher throughput
- IPs and BGP — allocations above the package baseline, or bringing your own ASN
Always ask what happens if you exceed commit, and whether DDoS is always-on on the edge (Fast2Host packages include free always-on DDoS on our network). Facility and network context: Cambridge data centre and AS48825.
Remote hands and support costs
Physical work in the hall is priced on the remote hands page:
| Band | Rate |
|---|---|
| Included | First 30 minutes per rack per month at £0 |
| Standard hours | £25 per 15-minute block (Mon–Fri 09:00–17:30 UK) |
| Out of hours | £40 per 15-minute block (evenings, weekends, UK public holidays) |
| Project work | POA |
Use included time for reboots, photo checks and simple cable work; larger installs are project-quoted.
Setup fees and other potential additional costs
Published colocation package prices are monthly from-prices. Beyond the monthly package, quotes often discuss:
- Power uplift — higher amp brackets than the package baseline
- Bandwidth / port uplift — faster ports or higher commits
- Cross-connects — copper or fibre to carriers or other racks
- Extra IP space or BGP — beyond the allocation in the tier
- Remote hands beyond the included 30 minutes — rates above
- Hardware — if you buy or lease servers separately (colo itself is space + facility + network)
- Contract term — length and any power escalators
We do not publish a separate colo “setup fee” on the package pages. If a one-off appears on your order, it will be itemised on the quote or cart — ask sales to spell it out before you commit.
How to compare colocation providers fairly
- Footprint — shared U-space vs lockable quarter/half vs private 42U.
- Amp rating on A and on B — not “power included” without a number.
- Port speed + unmetered commit — and overage rules.
- DDoS model — always-on vs scrubbing that can suspend traffic.
- IPs / BGP / ASN — included or add-on.
- Remote hands — minutes included, standard vs out-of-hours rates.
- Facility — reseller footprint vs owner-operated data centre.
- Contract term — 12 / 24 / 36 months and how power changes mid-term.
Compare like for like on amps and commit Mbps first; then price.
Colocation vs cloud costs
Steady UK workloads often see cloud opex climb (egress, snapshots, managed extras) while colo plateaus once hardware and amps are sized. Year-one stickers rarely tell the story. For the full comparison, see Cloud vs colocation. For definitions, What is colocation?.
FAQs
How much does 1U server colocation cost in the UK?
Fast2Host 1U colocation starts at £55.00/mo (published from-price), including dual A+B power, a 1Gbps port, 100Mbps unmetered commit, /30 IPv4 and free DDoS. Final cost still depends on power draw and any bandwidth uplift.
Is power included in colocation pricing?
Package prices include a power capacity (amps / dual feeds as specified). Extra amp brackets are quoted. We bill capacity in amps so UPS and cooling headroom are reserved — details in why we charge in amps.
How do amps relate to kilowatts?
At ~230V single-phase, watts ≈ amps × volts (for example 16A ≈ 3.7 kW). Dual-feed usable power is engineered per cabinet — confirm on quote.
What does quarter or half rack colocation cost?
Fast2Host quarter rack from £250/mo (10U, dual 16A A+B, 500Mbps commit). Half rack from £425/mo (21U, dual 16A A+B, 10Gbps port, 1Gbps commit).
What does full rack colocation cost?
Full rack colocation from £650/mo for a private 42U with dual 32A A+B, 10Gbps port and 1Gbps unmetered commit (published from-price).
Are remote hands free?
Every colo rack includes 30 minutes of remote hands per month. After that: £25 / 15 min standard hours, £40 / 15 min out of hours. See remote hands.
Where are the servers hosted?
In our privately owned Cambridge data centre on AS48825.
Next step
Use this guide to size the bill; use the commercial pages to order or RFQ: