Expands Internet Exchange Point (IXP) operation at Balkan entrance of Lancom, Thessaloniki by MIX
In a significant move for Greece and the wider Eastern Europe and Balkans region, the Italian Internet Exchange Point (IXP) MIX has activated MIX Thessaloniki, a new IXP, at Lancom's flagship data center in Thessaloniki, Greece. This strategic expansion is set to enhance connectivity and interconnection services in the region.
Located at Lancom's Balkan Gate data center, MIX Thessaloniki takes advantage of Thessaloniki's key gateway status to the Balkans, positioning it as a crucial hub for improved interconnection between networks across Greece, Eastern Europe, and the Balkans.
MIX Thessaloniki is a critical development for the region, as it strengthens MIX's commitment to open, neutral, and high-performance interconnection beyond national borders. The new IXP is expected to add to the over 420 networks and daily traffic peaks of over 3 Tbps at MIX's main hub in Italy.
The establishment of MIX Thessaloniki comes at a time when Greece's internet infrastructure is undergoing a transformative phase, moving from outdated DSL systems to modern fiber optics, 5G, and satellite technologies. This new IXP complements this national digital renaissance by providing high-performance interconnection infrastructure essential for sustaining increased data demands and improving internet quality nationwide.
By facilitating localized traffic exchange, MIX Thessaloniki helps reduce dependence on transit through other countries, lowers latency, and improves the robustness of internet connectivity in the Balkans and Eastern Europe. This technological advancement is further boosted by MIX's Temporary Advisory Board, including top network engineering experts from major European IXPs, who are developing a next-generation, future-proof peering platform at the Thessaloniki site.
The new IXP is expected to attract content providers, ISPs, and businesses to peer locally, which significantly reduces operational costs and improves service delivery. This can stimulate economic activity and digital innovation in the region. Alessandro Talotta, Executive President and Chairman of MIX, expressed pride in collaborating with Lancom to bring MIX's exchange services closer to the key players of the Balkans and beyond.
Lancom, a significant player in Greece's network infrastructure and advanced cloud solutions sector, and MIX, with their relationships with major global content providers and experience in designing and managing high-performance Internet Exchange Points, respectively, have collaborated to offer businesses, operators, content providers, and communities an infrastructure of excellence. The new Thessaloniki IXP will allow regional carriers, ISPs, cloud providers, and businesses to access a vast ecosystem of networks and services with low latency, improving connectivity, redundancy, and digital competitiveness.
The strategic expansion of MIX into Greece is a significant step in MIX's mission to support high-quality, secure, and scalable interconnection services throughout Eastern Europe. With MIX Thessaloniki, Greece is set to play a more significant role as a digital hub for the Balkans and Eastern Europe, supporting regional growth and positioning the region for future digital evolution.
[1] MIX Milan: https://www.mix-milan.net/ [2] MIX Thessaloniki Temporary Advisory Board: https://www.lancom.gr/mix-thessaloniki-temporary-advisory-board/ [3] Greece's digital renaissance: https://www.greekreporter.com/2021/02/24/greece-to-spend-1-billion-on-digital-infrastructure-upgrades/
The critical development of MIX Thessaloniki, located at Lancom's Balkan Gate data center, is expected to strengthen connections beyond Greece, moving into the realm of finance and technology, as it adds to the over 420 networks and daily traffic peaks of over 3 Tbps at MIX's main hub in Italy. This expansion also marks a significant step for Greece's internet infrastructure, embracing modern technologies such as fiber optics, 5G, and satellite networks in its digital renaissance, providing high-performance interconnection essential for the finance and technology sectors within the region.
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