In computer networking, peering is a voluntary interconnection of administratively separate Internet networks for the purpose of exchanging traffic between the "down-stream" users of each network. Peering is settlement-free, also known as "bill-and-keep" or "sender keeps all", meaning that neither party pays the other in association with the exchange of traffic; instead, each derives and retains revenue from its own customers.
The London Internet Exchange ("LINX") is a mutually governed Internet exchange point (IXP) that provides peering services and public policy representation to network operators. It was founded in 1994 in London. LINX operates IXPs in London, Manchester, Scotland and Wales in the United Kingdom and Northern Virginia in the United States.
Internet exchange points are common grounds of IP networking, allowing participant Internet service providers (ISPs) to exchange data destined for their respective networks. IXPs are generally located at places with preexisting connections to multiple distinct networks, i.e., datacenters, and operate physical infrastructure (switches) to connect their participants. Organizationally, most IXPs are each independent not-for-profit associations of their constituent participating networks. The primary alternative to IXPs is private peering, where ISPs directly connect their networks to each other.
Reykjavik Internet Exchange (RIX) is an Internet Exchange Point located in Reykjavík, Iceland, founded in 1999. It is operated by ISNIC, the same organisation that oversees the registration of Iceland's ccTLD, '.is'. Its primary site, RIX-TG, is located at Tæknigarður (The Centre for Technical Innovation), part of the University of Iceland. As of 2022 it operates 2 other peering sites in addition to their original site: RIX-KT (Katrínartún) and RIX-MH (Múlastöð, Ármúli 25).
The Toronto Internet Exchange Community (TorIX) is a not-for-profit Internet Exchange Point (IXP) located in a carrier hotel at 151 Front Street West, Equinix's TR2 data centre at 45 Parliament Street and 905 King Street West in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. As of March 2021, TorIX has 259 unique autonomous systems representing 285 peer connections and peak traffic rates of 1.344 Tbps, making it the largest IXP in Canada. According to Wikipedia's List of Internet Exchange Points by Size, TorIX is the 16th largest IXP in the world in numbers of peers, and 17th in the world in traffic averages. The Exchange is organized and run by industry professionals in voluntary capacity.
Average Per-Bit Delivery Cost, or APBDC, is the cost accounting method by which Internet Service Providers (ISPs) calculate their cost of goods sold.
Nepal Internet Exchange is Nepal's only Internet exchange point, established to keep local traffic local and improve local web surfing with local content while saving international bandwidth. It was established in 2002 with the help of Packet Clearing House.
DE-CIX is an operator of carrier- and data-center-neutral Internet Exchanges, with operations in Europe, North America, Africa, the Middle East, India and Southeast Asia. All DE-CIX activities and companies are brought together under the umbrella of the DE-CIX Group AG.
The Northern Lights Local Exchange Point (NLLXP) is a free Internet Exchange Point (IXP) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the United States. The NLLXP public peering exchange is closely linked with the Northern Lights GigaPoP (NLG), an Internet2 project of the University of Minnesota Office of Information and Technology: the NLG is the regional Internet2 access point for research and educational institutions, and the NLLXP is the regional peering exchange between those institutions and commercial networks, and among commercial networks.
Hurricane Electric is a global Internet service provider offering internet transit, tools, and network applications, as well as data center colocation and hosting services at two locations in Fremont, California, where the company is based.
JINX, located at Johannesburg, South Africa, is an internet exchange point in South Africa. It is run by INX-ZA, which is an autonomous arm of the Internet Service Providers Association.
The YYCIX Internet Exchange Community Ltd (YYCIX) in Calgary, Canada is the first Internet exchange point (IXP) in Alberta. It allows the local exchange of Internet traffic between members, staying within Canadian jurisdiction, optimizing the performance and economy of traffic flows, and limiting the potential for extra-legal surveillance. The YYCIX follows IXP best-practices, in that it is neutral and independent, has no mandatory fees, and is supported entirely through voluntary donations. The YYCIX is incorporated as a Canadian tax-exempt non-profit corporation.
PeeringDB is a freely available, user-maintained, database of networks, and the go-to location for interconnection data. The database facilitates the global interconnection of networks at Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), data centers, and other interconnection facilities, and is the first stop in making interconnection decisions.
The TREX Regional Exchanges Oy (TREX) operates an Internet exchange point in Tampere, Finland. TREX was established in 2002 and traffic on its first switch started in 2003. TREX was preceded by some local private peering arrangements between its initial members since the 1990s. TREX is a member of the European Internet Exchange Association.
UAE-IX is a carrier- and data center-neutral internet exchange point (IXP) situated in Dubai (UAE). It interconnects global networks, network operators and content providers in the GCC region. Founded in 2012, UAE-IX is built on a fully redundant switching platform located in two data centers in Dubai, Datamena and Equinix. Initiated by the UAE’s Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA) and fully managed by DE-CIX, UAE-IX delivers a local alternative for regional traffic exchange, localizing Internet content.
The Montreal Internet Exchange (QIX) was incorporated in 2013 as a not-for-profit Internet Exchange Point (IXP) and is located in Montreal (Quebec), Canada. It was originally created in 1995 by the Réseau d'informations scientifiques du Québec (RISQ) and operated by RISQ until 2013, when it was spun off as the QIX. RISQ still operated the IXP until June 2019. Since then, the exchange is operated by a local private network operator called Metro Optic Inc.
The Internet Exchange Point Of Nigeria (IXPN) is a neutral and not-for-profit Internet exchange point (IXP) founded in 2006 by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in partnership with the Internet Service Providers Association Of Nigeria (ISPAN). Among other things, IXPN was created to reduce connectivity costs in millions of dollars in offshore internet bandwidth payments, reduce latency from 900 milliseconds to 30 milliseconds for local content, serve as the central point for connecting Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) towards the development of National Research and Educational Network (NREN). As at April 2022, IXPN is the 5th largest IXP in Africa by number of peers, and 3rd in Africa by traffic according to Packet Clearing House’s IXP directory
The Uganda Internet Exchange Point (UIXP) is a non-profit Internet exchange point operator founded in 2001 with the goal of improving Internet connectivity within Uganda and the East African region, and is the only known internet exchange point in Uganda.
