Ireland’s Internet Neutral Exchange Association (INEX) is to open its first regional internet exchange point in Cork to help facilitate faster internet in the region.
Founded in 1996, INEX has been providing IP peering facilities to more than 100 members, with six data centres currently based in the Dublin region.
This, however, will be the association’s first opening outside of the capital as it looks to expand its national capacity following a year in which its centres reached peak traffic levels of 110Gbps, with a total usage of 200 petabytes of data for 2015.
To be designated INEX Cork, the new venture will be located in the CIX data centre located in Holyhill and is expected to begin operations by the beginning of Q2 this year.
As part of its remit, INEX Cork will also be operated as a standalone exchange.
A booming time for Cork
“Communications infrastructure and the internet economy as a whole are developing fast in Cork,” said Barry Rhodes, INEX’s chief executive, when commenting on the news.
“The arrival of the Hibernia Express subsea fibre cable, and the other international subsea fibre cables that are expected, has created a momentum in the city that the INEX Cork internet exchange will help to further stimulate. INEX celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2016 and we are delighted to be marking this milestone with the launch of INEX Cork.”
The news today follows the announcement by Interxion that the group is to open its third data centre in Dublin to better cope with demand, with the centre to be built in Grange Castle Business Park.
