IX.br, the largest network of Internet Exchange Points (IXP) in the world, celebrated its 20th anniversary last July 2024 with a remarkable role in improving connectivity in Brazil. Founded by the Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br) and supported by the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br), IX.br has been instrumental in providing a solid infrastructure for direct interconnection between networks that make up the Internet in the country.
A Successful Interconnection Model
Since its inception in 2004, IX.br has deployed a network of 36 Internet Exchange Points in metropolitan areas across all regions of Brazil. These IXPs allow for physical interconnection between access networks, content providers, and services such as e-commerce, social networks, and banks. This shared infrastructure facilitates more efficient data packet exchange and reduces dependence on international routes, resulting in a faster and less costly Internet for users.
Demi Getschko, CEO of NIC.br, emphasized the importance of IX.br: “IX.br is very aligned with the purpose of developing the Internet in the country. Its consistent growth over the years confirms the opportunity of the initiative, which today represents the largest set of IXPs, both in terms of number of locations and exchanged traffic. Celebrating two decades of existence of this project and seeing it reach this level of excellence is a source of great pride for all of us.”
Innovations and Expansions
The strength of IX.br is largely due to the model adopted in Brazil, where revenues from .br domains are reinvested in improving infrastructure. This investment has allowed IX.br to continuously advance, including the expansion of ports from 10 GB to 100 GB in 2017, and more recently to 400 GB.
An important milestone was the opening of a new data center in São Paulo in 2015, which significantly expanded the connection infrastructure, providing five times more space and nine times more electrical power than the previous one.
Traffic Records and New Initiatives
IX.br has continuously recorded traffic exchange records at its 36 locations. In February 2024, it reached a total of 35 Terabits per second (Tbit/s) of aggregate traffic, with the São Paulo IX leading with 23 Terabits per second.
To diversify traffic and reduce dependence on the São Paulo IX, NIC.br and CGI.br support the OpenCDN project. This initiative promotes the creation of additional content distribution cells at various IXPs in Brazil, such as in Manaus, Salvador, Brasília, Belo Horizonte, and Recife, with plans to expand to Belém and Cuiabá.
Impact on Regional Accessibility
The director of the Brazilian Internet Association (Abranet), Eduardo Parajo, emphasized the importance of the project: “IX.br is a milestone in improving the quality of the Internet in Brazil. It has made an extraordinary contribution, benefiting users in different regions of the country, whether individuals or companies.”
Basílio Perez, director of the Brazilian Association of Internet and Telecommunications Providers (Abrint), recalled how IX.br has been crucial in democratizing access to the Internet in Brazil. “If it weren’t for IX.br and the small Internet providers, only 40% of the population would have access to the Internet. Currently, in more than 5,000 Brazilian cities, there are three or four small providers, which represent significant competition and better connectivity for Brazil.”
About IX.br and NIC.br
IX.br is an initiative of CGI.br and NIC.br aimed at establishing and operating Internet Exchange Points in Brazil. Its mission is to improve the quality and reduce the costs of connectivity in the country. NIC.br, as a non-profit entity, manages the operation of .br domains and other activities related to Internet infrastructure in Brazil.
For more information, visit IX.br.
With two decades of significant contributions, IX.br remains a fundamental pillar in the evolution of Internet infrastructure in Brazil, ensuring more efficient and accessible connectivity for all.