IX.br

IX.br
Name	IX.br
Founded	2000
Location	Brazil
Members	1000+ (varies)
Capacity	multiple 100 Gbit/s ports
Peak traffic	multi-Tbit/s
Type	Internet exchange point

IX.br

IX.br is a Brazilian Internet exchange platform that connects network operators, content providers, academic networks, and cloud services across Brazil. It operates as a distributed set of exchange points that interconnect diverse participants, enabling lower-latency routing and reduced transit costs by facilitating direct traffic exchange among entities such as Telefônica Brasil, Claro Brasil, Vivo (telecommunications), Amazon Web Services, and Google. The platform plays a central role in Brazil's Internet topology by aggregating traffic from metropolitan areas including São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, and Fortaleza.

Overview

IX.br functions as a set of metropolitan exchange points that provide peering fabrics for commercial carriers, regional carriers, content delivery networks like Akamai Technologies and Cloudflare, research networks such as RNP (Rede Nacional de Ensino e Pesquisa), and major content providers including Facebook, Netflix, and Microsoft. Its infrastructure reduces reliance on international transit via links to submarine cable landing stations used by systems like MONET, ATLANTIS-2, and Marea. Operators connect via Ethernet ports at speeds from 1 Gbit/s to 400 Gbit/s, and the platform supports route servers, peering policies, and traffic monitoring used by network engineering teams from Oi S.A., TIM Brasil, Google Brazil, and academic institutions such as University of São Paulo.

History and development

The project originated in the early 2000s amid regional efforts to localize Internet exchange services inspired by models like LINX and DE-CIX. Early participants included Brazilian backbone operators and regional ISPs who sought to improve interconnectivity in cities like Curitiba and Recife. Over successive phases IX.br expanded with support from the academic community represented by RNP and regulatory stakeholders including Anatel, while collaboration with international carriers such as Telefónica and infrastructure providers like Equinix influenced deployment choices. Major milestones included the addition of new metropolitan nodes, the introduction of 100 Gbit/s and 400 Gbit/s ports to accommodate traffic growth driven by services from YouTube and Spotify, and partnerships that enabled peering at strategic data centers used by NTT Ltd. and Digital Realty.

Architecture and infrastructure

The exchange employs a distributed fabric comprising multiple metro exchange sites connected by carrier-neutral data centers in locations such as São Paulo (state) and Rio de Janeiro (state). Hardware vendors and vendors' platforms deployed include switch systems from manufacturers like Cisco Systems and Arista Networks to provide high-density 100 Gbit/s and 400 Gbit/s interfaces. IX.br supports route servers implementing BGP communities and prefix filtering used by network operators including Claro Brasil and research networks such as Academic Network of Minas Gerais (Rede Mineira). Redundancy is achieved via diverse fiber routes, cross-connects to submarine cable landing facilities linking to cable systems such as South Atlantic Cable System and interconnection to cloud on-ramps used by Microsoft Azure and Oracle Cloud.

Services and operations

Operational services include public peering via route servers, private interconnects, traffic measurement and reporting tools, and automated provisioning for new ports requested by carriers like Vivo (telecommunications). IX.br offers support for IPv4 and IPv6 peering, multicast exchange for media distribution involving organizations like Rede Globo, and logging systems used for network diagnostics by teams from Oi S.A. and content delivery firms such as Fastly. Operational procedures follow best practices promoted by entities such as IETF working groups and rely on operational staff with engineering experience similar to that found at major exchanges including AMS-IX and DE-CIX.

Governance and organization

The governance model features a collaborative structure bringing together academic stakeholders like RNP, operator representatives from companies such as Telefônica Brasil and Claro Brasil, and technical committees composed of engineers from carriers and content providers including Netflix. Policy-making covers peering rules, port allocation, and acceptable use, and is informed by regulatory frameworks overseen by Anatel. Organizational responsibilities include site operations, interconnection agreements, and coordination with data center operators represented by firms such as Equinix and Digital Realty.

Membership and participants

Members range from large multinational carriers including Telefonica and NTT Ltd. to regional ISPs, content networks like Akamai Technologies, cloud providers Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform, academic networks such as RNP and university networks like University of São Paulo, and media enterprises including Grupo Globo. Membership categories accommodate public peering participants using route servers and private peering pairs arranged between specific participants such as Oi S.A. and TIM Brasil. Connectors include content delivery networks, over-the-top media providers like Netflix, and critical infrastructure operators that manage submarine cable connectivity for transatlantic and regional links.

Impact and significance

IX.br has significantly reduced latency for Brazilian end-users for services hosted by providers like Google, Facebook, and Netflix while lowering international transit dependency through local interconnection with submarine cable landings used by Marea and South Atlantic Cable System. The exchange supports the digital economy in metropolitan regions such as São Paulo and Fortaleza, enhances resilience for research and education networks like RNP, and facilitates traffic localization that benefits e-commerce platforms and streaming services including Mercado Livre and Globoplay. Its existence aligns Brazil with global Internet interconnection trends observed at exchanges like LINX and DE-CIX, contributing to national infrastructure capacity and Internet performance.

Category:Internet exchange points