LONAP

LONAP
Name	LONAP
Type	Internet exchange point
Founded	1997
Location	London, United Kingdom
Key people	Nigel Titley; David Wilson; Andy Davidson
Members	300+ (approx.)

LONAP LONAP is a London-based Internet exchange point founded in 1997 that provides peering services to networks, content providers, and cloud platforms. It operates as a membership-driven association connecting carriers, content delivery networks, Internet service providers, and research networks across London and surrounding metro areas. LONAP’s role in the United Kingdom and international peering ecosystem complements other exchanges and transit providers by enabling large-scale traffic exchange, reducing latency, and improving resilience.

History

LONAP was established in the late 1990s during a period of rapid growth in Internet infrastructure that included contemporaries such as LINX, AMS-IX, DE-CIX, and Equinix. Early milestones included the adoption of peering fabrics used by operators like BT Group, Virgin Media, and Level 3 Communications as well as content networks such as Akamai Technologies and Cloudflare. Throughout the 2000s LONAP expanded its presence within carrier-neutral data centres hosted by companies such as Telehouse, Digital Realty, and Interxion. The exchange evolved alongside developments including the deployment of 10 Gigabit Ethernet, the rise of content delivery networks exemplified by Netflix and YouTube, and the emergence of major cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. In the 2010s and 2020s LONAP continued to grow membership and ports as broadband and mobile traffic surged with services from BT Sport, Sky, and major social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Membership and Organisation

LONAP operates as a membership organisation with network operators, content providers, cloud providers, and academic networks as participants. Members have historically included national carriers like Vodafone, regional ISPs, specialist cloud networks, and research and education networks such as JANET (UK). Membership categories mirror those of other exchanges such as AMS-IX and DE-CIX and typically involve organisational governance similar to associations like RIPE NCC and IETF. Technical and commercial contacts from member organisations manage peering arrangements comparable to bilateral and multilateral policies used by NTT Communications, Telia Carrier, and Orange S.A.. Committees and elected boards oversee operations in ways analogous to corporate governance seen at entities like LINX and Equinix.

Network and Infrastructure

LONAP’s physical infrastructure spans multiple London carrier-neutral data centres and points of presence often operated by providers such as Telehouse North, Telehouse East, Telehouse West, Equinix LD4, Digital Realty, and Interxion. The switching fabric supports high-capacity Ethernet interfaces including 1G, 10G, 40G, and 100G ports, paralleling hardware deployments from vendors like Cisco Systems, Juniper Networks, and Arista Networks. LONAP’s topology implements redundant switching and diverse fibre paths similar to architectures used by Google and Amazon to enhance resilience. Interconnections to other metropolitan exchanges and transport links are comparable to those used in peering hubs such as LINX Manchester and international interconnects at sites serving AMS-IX and DE-CIX.

Peering Services and Policies

LONAP provides both bilateral and multilateral peering arrangements and offers route server services that mirror the functionality found at AMS-IX and DE-CIX. The exchange publishes peering policies that set technical criteria for participants, influenced by best practices from organisations like RIPE NCC and operational norms used by Level 3 Communications and TeliaCarrier. Members commonly employ BGP routing policies to manage exchange sessions with networks including content delivery providers such as Akamai, cloud operators like Microsoft Azure, and global transit providers such as Cogent Communications. LONAP also supports private interconnects and VLAN segmentation similar to services offered by Equinix and cross-connect models used by Digital Realty.

Traffic Statistics and Performance

Traffic levels at LONAP have reflected the broader growth in Internet consumption driven by streaming services from Netflix and BBC iPlayer, social platforms such as YouTube and Facebook, and cloud-hosted applications on AWS and Google Cloud Platform. Peak throughput statistics are comparable in pattern to other rich metropolitan IXPs, with daily and weekly cycles influenced by events like major sporting broadcasts involving UEFA Champions League fixtures or high-profile streaming releases. Performance monitoring and reporting practices follow methodologies used by CAIDA researchers and measurement initiatives such as RIPE Atlas, with emphasis on latency, packet loss, and capacity utilisation. Engineering teams employ traffic engineering techniques similar to those used by NTT and China Telecom to optimise route selection and mitigate congestion.

Governance and Funding

LONAP’s governance is member-driven with an elected board and operational staff, operating similarly to governance models used by LINX, AMS-IX, and community-based bodies such as APNIC. Funding is typically sourced from membership fees, port charges, and service fees akin to revenue models used by exchanges like Equinix and DE-CIX. Transparency and reporting practices draw on stewardship norms found in organisations such as RIPE NCC, and financial oversight is performed by elected committees in the manner of other consortium-style infrastructure bodies including JANET (UK).

Impact and Partnerships

LONAP contributes to the resilience and efficiency of the UK and international Internet by enabling direct interconnection for networks including content delivery networks, mobile operators, and cloud providers such as Akamai, Cloudflare, Amazon Web Services, and Microsoft Azure. Partnerships with data centre operators like Telehouse and Equinix and collaboration with peering forums such as PeeringDB and community events like IX-F meetings support ecosystem development. LONAP’s presence influences traffic economics and latency-sensitive services used by platforms such as BBC, Sky Sports, Spotify, and Apple and participates in wider initiatives involving research institutions like University College London and regulatory dialogues involving organisations such as Ofcom.

Category:Internet exchange points