Connected Nation, network interconnection pioneer Hunter Newby form joint venture to build, operate Internet Exchange Points in 125+ regional hub communities across America
February 6, 2023
Source: ConnectedNation.org
JV aims to ‘democratize’ network interconnection, establish carrier-neutral IXP facilities in unserved markets—including the 14 states that lack them
Fort Lauderdale, Florida (January 30, 2023) – At the Metro Connect 2023 event in South Florida today, national nonprofit Connected Nation (CN) announced that it has formed a 50/50 joint venture (JV) with network interconnection pioneer Hunter Newby to pursue the construction and operations of at least 125 new carrier-neutral Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) in regional hub communities throughout the United States. These facilities will improve internet performance in the regions they serve by reducing network latency, improving access to cloud applications and content, and enabling better network resiliency through the creation of new network paths into and out of each region.
Click the above image to see a list of 125 target communities for Internet Exchange Points
Each facility will also serve as a competitive marketplace for wholesale internet (IP transit) and backhaul (transport), resulting in lower prices for both network operators and end-users. Ultimately, the JV will ensure that smaller cities and rural areas have the same opportunities to benefit from the continued evolution of the internet ecosystem as their metro counterparts—an aspect of the “Digital Divide” that is currently widening, not closing.
The JV, called “Connected Nation Internet Exchange Points LLC” (CNIXP), is a Delaware limited liability company.
"For more than 20 years, Connected Nation has been committed to the premise that every community, regardless of location, should have robust, affordable, reliable connectivity,” said Tom Ferree, Chairman & CEO, CN. “Over the next several years, states will work in collaboration with the federal government to spend $42.45 billion on improved internet infrastructure under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Grant Program. One factor confronting the efficacy of that program will be that many areas still lack a neutral venue for networks to interconnect and exchange traffic locally—a fact that results in high prices and sluggish internet performance. Our JV aims to address that problem. No community deserves a second-class internet experience.”
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