Data center developer Equinix has agreed to buy two dozen Verizon Communications data center properties in a deal worth $3.6 billion.

The Redwood City-based Equinix (NASDAQ: EQIX) will acquire a portfolio of 24 data center sites and 29 data center buildings across 15 metropolitan areas, including around Washington, D.C., Houston and New York City.

According to the announcement of the deal, the additions will further strengthen Equinix’s global reach by increasing interconnection, opening it up to new markets in the U.S. and South America, and accelerating its growth in the enterprise and strategic market sectors.

The all-cash transaction is expected to close in mid-2017. As a result of the deal, roughly 250 Verizon employees will become Equinix employees.

The data centers that Equinix will buy, combined, total about 2.4 million square feet. As a result of the sale, the company will control 175 data centers in 43 markets across the world.

“Equinix is committed to adding new reach and capabilities to our global interconnection platform to give you proximity to key customers, partners and markets everywhere — to deliver concrete business benefits such as lower latency, reduced bandwidth costs and increased revenue,” CEO Steve Smithwrote in a letter to Equinix customers, in which he announced the deal.