European IXP history

History of Internet exchange points in Europe, by Kurtis Lindqvist

Netnod CEO Kurtis Lindqvist has written an article on European Internet Exchange Point history in the ITAC newsletter, describing the role of Internet exchange points in Europe and how it has contributed to the Internet development in the region. 

"Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) have recently gained increased interest in Internet Governance discussions, as well as among governments. IXPs have played an important role in the development of the Internet, and especially in driving down connectivity costs, increasing resilience of the network and in improving the end-user experience.

Europe today is the region of the world with perhaps the most IXPs in the world. This density of interconnects has served Europe well, and has contributed to among the highest broadband speeds to the lowest cost."

ITAC is the Internet Technical Advisory Committee to the OECD, which Netnod is a meber of. ITAC brings together the counsel and technical expertise of technically focused organizations, in a decentralized networked approach to policy formulation for the Internet economy. The main purpose of the ITAC is to contribute constructively to the OECD’s development of Internet-related policies.

Read the full article in the ITAC newsletter.