Welcome to the next evolution of the "Meet Me In..." research series. The goal of the series has
always been to educate, create awareness, and highlight key facts about where, how and why the physical
networks that make up the world's information infrastructure meet.
Since this series began in 2003, Internet Exchanges (IXs) have established themselves as an essential element of the greater global network infrastructure landscape. Over the past several years, PeeringDB has built an incredible database for the world’s Internet Exchanges, the facilities that house them, the networks that connect with them, and more. This 2021 research correlates the live PeeringDB data via a custom API populated below with the original 2003-2005 Meet Me In research to create a unique analysis of the North American network interconnection landscape.
Between the where, how and why, the why is the most important. It is the reason behind wanting to know where and how. The "why" is that by aggregating demand to a point, a single physical address or facility at that address, buyers enjoy access to wholesale rates as opposed to retail rates with savings as great as 90% (just like buying at Costco or Sam's Club versus a convenience store). The "why" to seek out an Internet Exchange (IX) goes beyond this wholesale rate. IXs can reduce costs even further by handing off Internet traffic directly to the destination, avoiding ISP transit costs, but more importantly, saving time (just like a direct airline flight versus having to connect). This is referred to as reducing latency. So, in short, neutral meet points and IXs save time and money.
For all of the economic development and elected government officials out there, why is this important to know? It is important because if you do not have a neutral meet point and IX in your community, it means that all of your residents, students, and busineses must leave your community to get to the content and applications they desire on the Internet. This equates to higher costs and longer wait times and specifically means that "the Internet" does not exist where you are. Those that have this network-neutral infrastructure in their community have a tremendous advantage over those that do not. Which one are you?
If an Internet Exchange and, or neutral colocation facility in any of these cities would like to be mentioned
in this series, make that request here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the "Meet Me In..." series?
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The "Meet Me In..." series is original research by Hunter Newby examining internet exchange infrastructure in major US metro areas. Each article investigates the interconnection facilities, peering ecosystems, and network density in a specific city, drawing on over 20 years of industry research.
The goal of the series is to educate, create awareness, and highlight key facts about where, how, and why the physical networks that make up the world's information infrastructure meet. Read more about the history of this research series →
How are cities selected for research?
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Cities are selected based on their significance as interconnection hubs in North America. Key factors include the presence of carrier-neutral data centers, Internet Exchange Points, network density, and the city's role as a regional traffic exchange point.
If an Internet Exchange or neutral colocation facility in any city would like to be mentioned in this series, they can make that request through our contact page.
What data sources are used?
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The series draws on data from PeeringDB, a freely available database of networks and interconnection facilities maintained by the global network operator community. This is supplemented by direct industry knowledge and on-the-ground research.
Each article includes live data links to the facilities, Internet Exchanges, and networks discussed, so readers can explore the current state of each city's infrastructure.
Why do internet exchanges matter for local infrastructure?
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Internet Exchanges are critical infrastructure that directly impacts a city's digital economy. Local IXs provide several key benefits:
Lower latency: Traffic stays local rather than being routed through distant cities
Reduced costs: Direct peering eliminates expensive transit fees for local ISPs and businesses
Network resilience: Multiple interconnection points prevent single points of failure
Economic growth: IXs attract data centers, cloud providers, and technology companies to a metro area
Cities with strong IX presence are better positioned for emerging workloads like AI inference and edge computing, which require low-latency, high-bandwidth interconnection.
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