Euro-IX Press Release

EUROPEAN INTERNET EXCHANGES LINK UP TO IMPROVE INTERNET SERVICES.

1st of May 2001

Europe's leading Internet exchange points which connect the networks of Internet service providers (ISPs) to permit the exchange of Internet traffic are to set up a European organisation.

The new body which is called EURO-IX will help to co-ordinate technical standards across the continent, develop common procedures, and share and publish statistics and other information. It will provide a portal web site with a framework for standardised presentation of key information about individual and independent Internet exchange points. The portal will be an internal knowledge base and communication platform for all members of the EURO-IX organisation for the sharing and exchange of information and best practice relating to implementation, operation and administration of Internet exchange points.

Although EURO-IX will not itself lobby governments or regulators it will help to co-ordinate its members' responses, acting as a clearing house for information about proposed new regulations so that individual members can take their own action.

The charter members of the group are exchange points based in Amsterdam, Belgium, Germany, UK, Italy, Stockholm and Austria AMS-IX, BNIX, DE-CIX, LINX, MIX, Netnod and VIX. They hope that the various exchanges in other European countries will join the new organisation over the next few months.

Job Witteman of the Amsterdam exchange, AMS-IX, said: "We want to help European Internet exchanges agree and communicate common policies for the benefit of the overall Internet community, including the exchanges themselves, ISPs and their customers."

Funding for EURO-IX will come from its member exchanges, all of which impose stringent technical quality standards on their members and all of which are leaders in their own national markets.

John Souter of The London Internet Exchange (LINX) said: "The member-owned structure adopted by the exchanges permits us to act in the interests of the Internet industry as a whole."

Arnold Nipper from DE-CIX in Germany said: "The Internet industry is increasingly international and EURO-IX will help us co-ordinate our response to common issues which affect all of us in the industry across Europe."

Pascal Delmoite from Belgian exchange BNIX said: "The members of EURO-IX offer unrivalled connectivity, allowing the leading ISPs in each country to peer directly with other market leaders. EURO-IX will be a co-operative forum that will make it easier for ISPs to find out about the services on offer at each exchange point, so that they can choose the most effective option for their businesses."