New Copy of I-Root Server Improves User Experience in Mexico

28/01/2021

With the support of LACNIC through its +Raíces project and Netnod, the operator of the original Internet I-root server located in Sweden, a second copy of this root server was installed in Mexico.

Thanks to a new agreement with Transtelco, a company which had already deployed and was already operating an anycast copy of the I-root server in Mexico City, this new server was installed in Monterrey and will serve thousands of users and companies, customers of this Mexican ISP.

Toth G. Alonso, Engineering PM at Transtelco, stressed that this copy of the original server will improve users’ Internet browsing experience, as it will reduce domain resolution times.

What can you tell me about Transtelco’s operations in Mexico? What type of customers do you serve? What services do you offer?

Transtelco started by offering connectivity services in the main cities on the border between the United States and Mexico. We then deployed infrastructure at the main Internet exchange points in order to improve connectivity for our customers, including other ISPs in the region as well as national and transnational companies. Supported by multiple submarine cable systems and terrestrial fiber rings, Transtelco’s network stretches from the southwest to the east coast of the United States, across Mexico and throughout Latin America. Transtelco’s portfolio of solutions includes dedicated Internet access, long-distance and metropolitan transport, cloud connectivity, managed SD-WAN services, private connectivity, datacenter colocation and telephony services.

Do you have any peering relationships or relationships with carriers in Mexico?

Relationships with major CDNs and other providers are key to being competitive in this market. Latency is a major factor which shapes user experience, which is why Transtelco is constantly seeking to establish traffic exchange or peering agreements in Mexico, the USA and Latin America.

What benefits do you expect to obtain with the installation of an anycast copy of the I-root server in Monterrey?

The main benefit is an improvement in Internet users’ browsing experience thanks to reduced domain resolution times. The server will answer DNS queries from the main local markets in northern and central Mexico.

Which organizations will benefit from this I-root server copy?

Both the corporate and residential users of various Mexican operators will benefit from being able to use this server for domain name resolution. The number of peering agreements which Transtelco has entered into in Mexico allows the server to be used by customers directly or indirectly connected to the Transtelco network.

This is the second copy of the I-root server installed in Mexico by Transtelco. Why did you decide to participate in the +Raíces project? What would you highlight about this initiative by LACNIC and Netnod?

The first copy of the I-root server was installed in Mexico City to serve users in the center and south of the country. This new copy is intended to provide services to users in northern Mexico. As stressed during the events organized by LACNIC, it is very clear that the more copies that are deployed around the world, the more stable, fast and secure the DNS service will be. Participating in the +Raices project with Netnod makes it very easy to deploy these DNS copies in collaboration with the LACNIC team, who provide their support throughout the implementation process.

What improvements do you expect your services and operations to achieve with this second root server? Is this copy different from the one you installed in Mexico City?

Thanks to this new copy installed in the city of Monterrey, users in northern Mexico will not have to use servers installed in the center or south of the country or copies of servers deployed in the United States. This means that users in the states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, Durango, San Luis Potosí and Zacatecas will be able to access this server with just a few milliseconds of latency, and this will definitely improve their browsing experience. From an infrastructure point of view, there is no difference between the copy in Mexico City and the copy in Monterrey. The differences lie in the regionalization and traffic engineering, which allow users to utilize the nearest copy. For operators, the name of the game is improving user experience and quality of service by reducing latency between users and content. The +Raices project contributes directly to this goal. It is a pleasure for Transtelco to collaborate with LACNIC on this project.