CATNIX, the Catalonia Netural Internet Exchange managed by CSUC, celebrated its 25th anniversary in an event on October 23 at the Cloister of the Historical Building of the University of Barcelona. About seventy people attended, including representatives from other IXPs, connected entities, and university representatives.
Xavier Peiró, former IT Director of CSUC, opened the speeches with a reference to CATNIX as a “kilometer zero infrastructure that enabled the interconnection of different operators in 1999 and has since helped improve their services.” Peiró also expressed gratitude to those who make CATNIX work.
The ceremony also featured Andreu Veà, an internet and CATNIX pioneer, who recalled the early days of the Catalan neutral exchange and how CATNIX transformed the organization and operation of the internet in the region.
Xavier Milà, Managing Director of CTTI, thanked the companies connected to CATNIX, both newcomers and long-time participants, highlighting their “commitment to local exchange.” Milà emphasized the importance of having a 100% Catalan IXP connected to the world, as a founding member of Euro-IX and recognized globally among IXPs.
The 25th anniversary celebration of CATNIX coincides with the launch of a new point of presence, which strengthens its network.
New connection node at the Barcelona CLS
CATNIX has strengthened its network with a new connection node installed last July at the Barcelona Cable Landing Station (Barcelona CLS), the fiber-optic submarine cable landing and interconnection station operated by AFR-IX telecom, located in Sant Adrià de Besòs.
Thanks to this agreement between CATNIX and AFR-IX telecom, Barcelona CLS becomes the fourth CATNIX point of presence, along with the nodes located at Equinix (Barcelona), bitNAP (L’Hospitalet de Llobregat), and the original CATNIX node at CSUC itself, in the University Zone of Barcelona.
Alex Ramoneda, Deputy COO of Barcelona CLS, spoke on the agreement, saying, “For AFR-IX, having CATNIX—a key neutral exchange point in Catalonia—is important, and we are very pleased to offer our clients access to the CATNIX node to improve connectivity and traffic exchange, especially enhancing the local exchange network”.
For CATNIX, the new node is also strategic for its growth. Olga Lanau, General Director of CSUC, stated, “With the opening of this fourth node at Barcelona CLS, CATNIX is solidified as a neutral point close to Catalan businesses and citizens, improving redundancy and resilience by creating a ring with the other points of presence. Being at Barcelona CLS is a step forward in improving internet connectivity and traffic exchange in Catalonia”.
Data traffic to increase by 25% with the new node
CATNIX currently hosts over 50 connected networks with more than 300 PB of annual traffic, and with the incorporation of the new node at Barcelona CLS, data traffic is estimated to increase by 25%.
Companies connected to CATNIX benefit from having a local peering platform to exchange traffic with minimal latency. The IXP offers cost savings, as a single connection to the IXP provides access to numerous networks from different companies, reducing traffic costs since all local traffic no longer needs to flow through international connections. Additionally, CATNIX brings other internet services closer to its connected entities, offering the highest quality with minimal latency.
