Responding to mounting Internet traffic worldwide, PAIX, a subsidiary of Metromedia Fiber Network, Inc., announced Wednesday its expansion in six U.S. and Europe cities by the year’s end.
Facilities are expected to open in New York, Virginia and Washington in the third quarter, with an opening in Dallas, Amsterdam and Atlanta slated for the fourth quarter.
PAIX is the only major Internet exchange in the world not owned by a major telecommunications company, making it popular with providers looking for a true neutral site for public peering.
In addition, customers have the option to lease dark fiber from Metromedia and other broadband providers like Broadwing Inc.
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Williams Communications Group Inc. Dark fiber is the part of the fiber optic network currently not being used, giving customers who lease into it virtually unlimited traffic at a fixed price.
Increasing bandwidth demands have made network expansion critical. Finding guaranteed Internet access is a sure ticket to success for companies like Metromedia, which can provide both neutral peering and backbone connectivity.
Nick Tanzi, Metromedia president and chief operating officer, said PAIX’s ability to offer both gives them an advantage over other Internet exchanges.
“Open, neutral peering is fundamental to the dynamic growth of the Internet, and the expansion of PAIX as a neutral exchange point underpins our commitment to the positive development of Internet infrastructure,”
Tanzi said. “Dark fiber will complement the diversity that is central to PAIX, and provide customers with the capacity and scalability they need to grow their business.”
Currently, Metromedia’s data centers and PAIX facilities can be found in 51 cities throughout the U.S. Work is in progress to complete the all-fiber network in 16 cities in Europe. It’s growth that can’t come quick enough, with the increased demand for Internet usage.
Tim Guarnieri, PAIX vice president, said finding an IX that can deliver peering is increasingly difficult.
“As the Internet continues its explosive growth there is an ever-increasing demand for facilities in which providers can exchange traffic with one another,” Guarnieri said. “Our aggressive expansion offers companies that are building the next generation of Internet infrastructure a reliable, secure, open environment for deploying their networks in the markets where they need to be to grow their business.”
Underscoring that remark is the 20-year, $200 million contract IntelliSpace signed with Metromedia earlier this month. The deal guarantees IntelliSpace can meet the bandwidth demands it will experience down the road.
