Enabling Environments for Establishing successful IXPs

{tab IGF Session 2015}

Internet Exchange Points are a well-established concept and there is a substantial body of expertise on Best Practices and the characteristics of local environments that are conducive to the formation and success of IXPs within the IXP operator community. This knowledge is not evenly distributed, and some stakeholders have expressed a need for wider awareness raising. The aim of this BPF is therefore to help make that knowledge more widely available, and to assist interested parties in discovering how to access community knowledge, rather than developing new concepts.

IXPs are a critical part of local Internet infrastructure: a physical location where different IP networks meet to exchange traffic with each other. Yet, only about half of all countries in the world have an IXP. As countries establish IXPs, more local Internet traffic is exchanged and routed locally, creating downward pressure on costs, decreasing latency, and stimulating growth and distribution of local Internet content. A critical by-product of an IXP is that local technical expertise is enhanced as operators learn how to manage and upgrade an IXP’s infrastructure. As part of developing a local Internet ecosystem, IXPs play an important role and help enable collaborative stakeholder engagement. Policy-makers and other governmental stakeholders are important partners in IXP development and can help champion IXPs.

The BPF on IXPs is coordinated by community members Gaël Hernández, Malcolm Hutty and Désirée Zachariah, supported by a consultant engaged by the IGF Secretariat, Wim Degezelle.

{tab Get involved}

Mailing List

The BP_IXP mailing list is the primary working channel of the Best Practice Forum on IXPs.
Subscription to the mailing list is open to all interested and the archives are publicly available.
Subscribe to the BP_IXP mailing list

Virtual Meetings

At regular virtual meetings, the BPF discusses its plans, progress and next steps. The online meetings are open to all.
The meetings are announced on the BP_IXP mailing list and meeting reports are posted in the documents section.

At the IGF 2015 in João Pessoa

Later more

{tab Survey}

This survey aims to collect input from IXP operators so that their perspectives can be incorporated into the IGF Best Practices Workshop and related projects. All submissions will be kept confidential and shall only be presented in an anonymous format.
http://www.intgovforum.org/survey-bpf-ixps

[En français]
Cette enquête vise à recueillir les contributions des opérateurs de IXP pour être incorporés dans l’atelier IGF des meilleures pratiques en IXP et projets associes. Toutes les contributions seront gardées confidentielles et présentés anonymises.
http://www.intgovforum.org/survey-bpf-ixps

[En español]
Esta encuesta tiene como objetivo recoger las aportaciones de los operadores de IXP por lo que sus perspectivas se pueden incorporar en el IGF Mejores Prácticas de Taller y proyectos relacionados. Todas las presentaciones serán confidenciales y sólo se presentarán en un formato anónimo.
http://www.intgovforum.org/survey-bpf-ixps

{tab Reference docs}

List of Reference documents and background information.

Benefits of an IXP

country and regional case studies

Lifting barriers to Internet development in Africa: suggestions for improving connectivity (Internet Society)

http://www.internetsociety.org/doc/lifting-barriers-internet-development-africa-suggestions-i mproving-connectivity

Toward Efficiencies in Canadian Internet Traffic Exchange (PCH)

http://www.internetsociety.org/doc/lifting-barriers-internet-development-africa-suggestions-improving-connectivity

https://www-04.pch.net/resources/Papers/toward-efficiencies/Toward-Efficiencies-in-Canadi an-Internet-Traffic-Exchange.pdf

Assessment of the impact of Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) –

Empirical study of Kenya and Nigeria: http://www.internetsociety.org/ixpimpact

Lifting barriers to Internet development in Africa: suggestions for improving connectivity